First Hill Streetcar
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The First Hill Streetcar, officially the First Hill Line, is a
The streetcar line was proposed in 2005 as an alternative to a cancelled
Construction was completed in late 2014, but delays in the delivery and testing of the streetcar vehicles pushed the opening of the line to January 23, 2016. A proposed connection to the South Lake Union Streetcar line was planned to be constructed in the late 2010s, but was suspended by the city government in 2018.
History
Background and approval
First Hill and the Broadway corridor were historically served by several lines under the private and municipal streetcar system, beginning with the first line constructed in 1891 and ending in 1941 with the introduction of city trolleybuses.[3][4] First Hill, a major regional destination due to its concentration of medical facilities and Seattle University, was slated to receive an underground Link light rail station under the system's first planned expansion from Downtown Seattle to the University District, passed by voters in 1996.[5] A technical study revealed tunneling through the weak soil under First Hill involved high risks and would cost $350 million beyond the project's proposed budget, so the Sound Transit board voted in July 2005 to remove the First Hill station from their preferred light rail route.[5][6]
In lieu of light rail service,
The First Hill Streetcar project was included in the
Routing decision and construction
The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) presented three basic route alignments for public consideration in December 2009: beginning with a common corridor on Jackson Street with a one-way loop between Pioneer Square and International District/Chinatown station, the streetcar would use either 12th or 14th avenues to reach Yesler Terrace, then continue north on Broadway, Boren Avenue, or 12th Avenue. Near Capitol Hill station, the streetcar would split into a one-way couplet between Broadway and 11th Avenue with a terminal at Denny Way.[19][20]
Despite community support for the 12th Avenue option and First Hill organizations backing the Boren option, SDOT recommended the Broadway route with no couplet or one-way loop.
Pre-construction activities for the project began in January 2011 and a formal
Testing, opening, and later issues
Street construction and electrical installation were completed in late 2014, but the commencement of service was delayed to the following year due to procurement issues with the Czech streetcar manufacturer, Inekon Trams, and a Seattle-based partner that would assemble half the fleet.[34] Inekon's delay was blamed on an existing backlog of orders, the battery systems, and a redesign required by a change in fire regulations.[35] The project overran its $134 million budget by $1.6 million, which was paid by Inekon as part of their contract penalties.[36] Testing of the first streetcar began in March 2015 and acceptance tests were completed on all five vehicles by October.[37][38] The final phase of testing, including 310 miles (500 km) of operation and a five-train simulation, was completed in early January 2016.[39][40]
The First Hill Streetcar began service with a soft launch on January 23, 2016, announced the previous day by the city government.[36] Passenger fares were waived entirely for the first two weeks of operation, leading up to a formal grand opening during a Lunar New Year festival in the International District on February 13, 2016.[41][42] In its first year of operation, the streetcar averaged 3,050 weekday riders and met year-end projections,[1] but by June 2017 the line was under-performing in ridership and fare revenue projections.[43]
The First Hill line was criticized for its slow, meandering route without transit-only lanes or other priority measures to give it a time advantage over buses or pedestrians.[44][45] While SDOT included bicycle-friendly features and pathways parallel to the streetcar, the tracks remained the cause of serious crashes, including a fatal incident on Yesler Way in May 2016.[46] A lawsuit alleging fault for the cyclist's death was filed against the city government and Sound Transit by her family and settled in 2018.[47] Another crash, which resulted in severe injuries to a cyclist at South Jackson Street and 12th Avenue South, was settled in 2019 with $1.55 million paid for by the city.[48] SDOT planned to install a rubber flange filler between the track and concrete, but found that it would cause additional hazards and not last an adequate amount of time.[49]
Streetcar service on the First Hill line was halted indefinitely on March 2, 2017, due to an incident where a streetcar lost electrical power and slid uncontrolled downhill for over two blocks after a brake failure.[50] The vehicle was stopped at a curve in the tracks by an emergency parking brake that engaged automatically; the two passengers on board were uninjured and there was no damage.[51] Service resumed on March 20 after modifications to the load contactor were installed and tested; streetcars, however, remained temporarily restricted to 7 miles per hour (11 km/h) on the steepest sections of Broadway.[52][53]
SDOT announced plans in 2018 to improve streetcar service on Broadway by adding a southbound business-and-transit lane between Union and Madison streets and prohibiting certain turning movements at three intersections.
Proposed expansions
A streetcar network plan published by the city government in 2008 explored extensions of the First Hill line to the
As design work progressed, the cost of the project rose to $25 million, which would be covered by a
An extension of the First Hill Streetcar to connect with the existing
Route and stations
The First Hill Streetcar line travels 2.5 miles (4.0 km) from
The line begins in the median of South Jackson Street at Occidental Avenue in the Pioneer Square
The streetcar crosses a spur track on 8th Avenue South that leads to the line's operations and maintenance facility and then travels under
The streetcar follows Broadway uphill into First Hill, stopping at Terrace Street near the
Stations
The First Hill line has ten stations that are served by trains in both directions. The Jackson Street stops are primarily
Station[80] | Type[76] | Neighborhood | Connections and notes[81] | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Northbound | Southbound | |||
Occidental Mall (Occidental Avenue) |
Center
|
Pioneer Square | Washington State Ferries, King County Water Taxi, Kitsap Fast Ferries Serves Lumen Field, Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park | |
Jackson & 5th Avenue | Center | Chinatown/International District
|
International District/Chinatown station: 1 Line King Street Station: Amtrak, Sounder commuter rail | |
Jackson & 7th Avenue | Center | Serves Wing Luke Asian Museum, Kobe Terrace
| ||
Jackson & 12th Avenue | Center | Little Saigon
|
King County Metro: 7, 14, 36, 60 | |
14th Avenue & Washington Street | Center | Central District | ||
Yesler Way & Broadway | Side | Yesler Terrace | King County Metro: 27, 60 Serves Yesler Terrace Community Center | |
Broadway & Terrace Street | Side | First Hill | King County Metro: 3, 4, 9 Serves Harborview Medical Center | |
Broadway & Marion Street | Side | Swedish Medical Center
| ||
Broadway & Pine Street | Broadway & Pike Street | Side | Capitol Hill | King County Metro: 9, 11, 49, 60 Serves Seattle Central College |
Broadway & Denny Way | Side | Capitol Hill station: 1 Line Serves Cal Anderson Park |
Service and operations
The First Hill Streetcar runs for 20 hours per day from Monday to Saturday, with trains from 5 am to 10:30 pm, and 10 hours per day on Sundays and federal holidays from 10 am to 8 pm. Trains arrive at stations with a scheduled frequency of 12 minutes during weekday rush hours, 15 minutes midday on weekdays and Saturdays, and 20 minutes during the early morning, evenings, Sundays, and holidays.[36][80] The streetcar had an annual ridership of 882,219 passengers in 2017.[2]
The streetcar is owned by the City of Seattle and is currently operated by King County Metro under a contract with the city government.[82] The line's operating budget is primarily covered by a $5 million annual contribution from Sound Transit, with the city government paying other costs.[83] Metro operates bus replacement services in the event of service disruptions.[76]
Rolling stock
The First Hill Streetcar uses a fleet of six
The streetcars, numbered 401 to 407, were built by Czech manufacturer Inekon Trams, who also supplied the vehicles for the
The First Hill line requires six streetcars during normal operations, with five in service and one operational
See also
References
- ^ a b "First Hill Streetcar First Anniversary". Seattle Department of Transportation. January 24, 2017. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
- ^ a b c "Semi-Annual Streetcar Report" (PDF). Seattle Department of Transportation. November 2018. pp. 15–16. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 31, 2019. Retrieved January 13, 2019.
- Capitol Hill Times. Retrieved January 11, 2019 – via Capitol Hill Seattle Blog.
- ^ a b Lindblom, Mike (November 12, 2012). "Seattle to spend up to $10 million to study new streetcar lines". The Seattle Times. p. A1. Retrieved January 11, 2019.
- ^ a b Hadley, Jane (July 7, 2005). "Sound Transit says UW stadium within reach". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. p. A1. Retrieved January 11, 2019.
- ^ Hadley, Jane (July 29, 2005). "Sound Transit board leaves First Hill out of loop". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. p. B1. Retrieved January 11, 2019.
- ^ Pryne, Eric (July 28, 2005). "Drop First Hill light-rail stop, CEO Earl says". The Seattle Times. p. B1. Retrieved January 11, 2019.
- ^ "Sound Transit Motion No. M2006-13 Staff Report" (PDF). Sound Transit. January 26, 2006. Retrieved January 11, 2019.
- ^ "First Hill Transit Connector Alternatives Summary Report" (PDF). Sound Transit. April 17, 2007. p. 1. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 11, 2010. Retrieved January 11, 2019.
- ^ Pryne, Eric (December 9, 2005). "Items big, small on Sound Transit's wish list". The Seattle Times. p. B3.
- ^ Lindblom, Mike (May 25, 2007). "Proposed light-rail extension heading for ballot". The Seattle Times. p. B1. Retrieved January 11, 2019.
- ^ Lindblom, Mike (December 10, 2007). "South Lake Union streetcar on the past track". The Seattle Times. p. A1. Retrieved January 11, 2019.
- ^ Lindblom, Mike (October 29, 2008). "Bus vs. light rail: Which is your ticket to ride?". The Seattle Times. p. A1. Retrieved January 11, 2019.
- ^ Lindblom, Mike (November 6, 2008). "How transit supporters closed deal with voters". The Seattle Times. p. A1. Retrieved January 11, 2019.
- ^ a b c Mulady, Kathy (December 8, 2008). "Council OKs streetcar network". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. p. B1. Retrieved August 30, 2014.
- ^ "First Hill streetcar deal OK'd by city". The Seattle Times. October 6, 2009. p. B2. Retrieved January 11, 2019.
- ^ "City of Seattle Ordinance 123118". Seattle City Clerk. October 8, 2009. Retrieved January 11, 2019.
- ^ "Seattle, Sound Transit execute agreement for expedited streetcar construction" (Press release). Sound Transit. November 16, 2009. Retrieved January 11, 2019.
- City Living Seattle. Retrieved January 11, 2019.
- ^ Sanders, Eli (December 15, 2009). "Tonight on Capitol Hill: Tell the City Which Streetcar You Want". The Stranger. Retrieved January 11, 2019.
- ^ Ramirez, Marc (March 20, 2010). "SDOT proposes Broadway-only alignment for streetcar route". The Seattle Times. p. B2. Retrieved January 11, 2019.
- ^ Anne Lloyd, Sarah (February 10, 2010). "Capitol Hill Activists Push to Extend First Hill Streetcar". The Stranger. Retrieved January 11, 2019.
- ^ Lindblom, Mike (April 5, 2010). "Proposed First Hill streetcar is Broadway bound". The Seattle Times. p. A1. Retrieved January 11, 2019.
- ^ Gutierrez, Scott (May 3, 2010). "Seattle City Council moves forward with First Hill Streetcar". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Retrieved January 11, 2019.
- ^ Yuan, Teresa (January 25, 2011). "First Hill streetcar project gets under way". KING 5 News. Archived from the original on January 27, 2011. Retrieved January 12, 2019.
- ^ "City of Seattle and Sound Transit Break Ground on the First Hill Streetcar" (Press release). Sound Transit. April 23, 2012. Retrieved January 12, 2019.
- ^ a b c d e Lindblom, Mike (April 11, 2012). "Newest streetcar to remake First Hill". The Seattle Times. p. A1. Retrieved January 12, 2019.
- ^ Gutierrez, Scott (August 6, 2012). "How the streetcar construction is already changing First Hill". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Retrieved August 21, 2012.
- ^ Lotter, Rod (May 10, 2012). "Broadway traffic jams, construction will last two years: So get used to it". Capitol Hill Times.
- ^ "Broadway streetcar track work reveals Broadway streetcar track work". Capitol Hill Seattle Blog. July 28, 2012. Retrieved January 12, 2019.
- ^ "Project Updates, May 2013". Seattle Streetcar. Archived from the original on May 13, 2013. Retrieved January 12, 2019.
- ^ Nielsen, Peg (February 27, 2014). "Don't get your wires crossed!". Seattle Department of Transportation. Retrieved January 12, 2019.
- ^ Lindblom, Mike (May 21, 2015). "Pay attention: Streetcar tests under way on Broadway". The Seattle Times. p. B4. Retrieved January 12, 2019.
- ^ Lindblom, Mike (September 24, 2014). "First Hill Streetcar delayed: Line is ready, streetcars are not". The Seattle Times. p. A1. Retrieved October 5, 2014.
- ^ a b Lindblom, Mike (March 2, 2015). "City trying to get First Hill Streetcar moving". The Seattle Times. p. B2. Retrieved January 12, 2019.
- ^ a b c d Lindblom, Mike (January 23, 2016). "Seattle's First Hill Streetcar to open Saturday with free rides". The Seattle Times. p. A1. Retrieved January 12, 2019.
- ^ Lindblom, Mike (June 29, 2015). "First Hill streetcars running another month behind". The Seattle Times. p. A1. Retrieved January 12, 2019.
- ^ Mah, Norm (October 21, 2015). "First Hill Streetcar Begins New Phase of Testing". Seattle Department of Transportation. Retrieved January 12, 2019.
- ^ a b Lindblom, Mike (December 3, 2015). "Almost ready to ride: tours of delayed First Hill streetcar line begin". The Seattle Times. p. B2. Retrieved January 20, 2016.
- ^ Macz, Brandon (January 22, 2016). "All aboard the First Hill Streetcar". Capitol Hill Times. Archived from the original on February 29, 2016. Retrieved January 29, 2016.
- ^ Macz, Brandon (February 9, 2016). "First Hill Streetcar free rides ending soon". Capitol Hill Times.
- ^ Mah, Norm (February 16, 2016). "Lunar New Year and Community Celebration of the First Hill Streetcar!". Seattle Department of Transportation. Retrieved January 12, 2019.
- ^ Courtney, Ricky (June 29, 2017). "Seattle streetcar ridership takes big hit". KING 5 News. Retrieved January 12, 2019.
- ^ "Assphalt: We Raced the First Hill Street Car on Foot, and Beat it by 8 Minutes". Seattle Weekly. June 16, 2016. Retrieved January 12, 2019.
- ^ Scigliano, Eric (April 22, 2012). "A desire named streetcar". Crosscut.com. Retrieved January 12, 2019.
- ^ Bush, Evan (August 17, 2016). "Deadly streetcar tracks? Horror stories haunt Seattle bicyclists". The Seattle Times. p. A1. Retrieved January 12, 2019.
- ^ Clancy, Amy (November 21, 2018). "Brother of dead cyclist accepts settlement, but is still battling over safety". KIRO 7 News. Retrieved January 12, 2019.
- ^ Lindblom, Mike (July 18, 2019). "Seattle pays $1.55 million to bicyclist thrown under bus by streetcar track in 2015". The Seattle Times. Retrieved July 19, 2019.
- ^ Bush, Evan (May 24, 2017). "Brother's claims against Seattle and Sound Transit blame streetcar tracks in bicyclist's deadly crash". The Seattle Times. Retrieved January 12, 2019.
- ^ Lindblom, Mike (March 4, 2017). "First Hill Streetcar line shut down for 'a number of days'". The Seattle Times. p. B1. Retrieved January 12, 2019.
- ^ Lindblom, Mike (March 11, 2017). "First Hill streetcar's 2½-block skid has Seattle scrutinizing system's safety". The Seattle Times. p. A1. Retrieved January 12, 2019.
- ^ Macz, Brandon (March 20, 2017). "First Hill Streetcar rides again". Capitol Hill Times. Archived from the original on March 29, 2017. Retrieved January 12, 2019.
- ^ Daniels, Chris (March 21, 2017). "First Hill streetcar slowdowns will stay, SDOT says". KING 5 News. Retrieved January 12, 2019.
- ^ "Spot Improvements: Broadway Corridor Streetcar Improvement Project". Seattle Department of Transportation. Retrieved January 12, 2019.
- Madison Park Times. p. 8.
- ^ a b Seattle Streetcar Network Development Report (PDF) (Report). Seattle Department of Transportation. May 2008. pp. 11–15. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 24, 2013. Retrieved January 13, 2019.
- ^ Pian Chan, Sharon (May 6, 2008). "Some getting serious about adding streetcars". The Seattle Times. p. B5.
- ^ Van Gilder, Jessica (May 20, 2010). "Design for Aloha streetcar extension needs $1 million". City Living Seattle. Retrieved January 13, 2019.
- ^ Gutierrez, Scott (May 3, 2010). "Seattle City Council moves forward with First Hill Streetcar". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Retrieved January 13, 2019.
- ^ Thompson, Lynn (November 9, 2011). "Seattle rejects car-tab fee, passes levy boost for kids". The Seattle Times. p. A6. Retrieved January 13, 2019.
- ^ a b Macz, Brandon (October 17, 2017). "Streetcar extension up Broadway paused indefinitely". Capitol Hill Times. Archived from the original on October 22, 2017. Retrieved January 13, 2019.
- ^ Macz, Brandon (February 7, 2017). "Business opposition could stop Broadway Streetcar". Capitol Hill Times. Archived from the original on February 17, 2017. Retrieved January 13, 2019.
- ^ Hamlin, Kelsey (October 26, 2017). "Moving on from streetcar extension plan, city also ditches Broadway bike and street improvements". Capitol Hill Seattle Blog. Retrieved October 26, 2017.
- ^ Lindblom, Mike (July 1, 2014). "First Ave. streetcar approval delayed". The Seattle Times. p. B1. Retrieved January 13, 2019.
- ^ Baruchman, Michelle (September 7, 2018). "How did we get here? A look back at Seattle's Center City Connector and streetcar history". The Seattle Times. Retrieved January 13, 2019.
- ^ Gutman, David (March 31, 2018). "Mayor puts the brakes on Seattle streetcar project". The Seattle Times. p. A1. Retrieved January 13, 2019.
- ^ Kroman, David (May 30, 2023). "Hopes for a downtown Seattle streetcar find new life in Mayor Harrell". The Seattle Times. Retrieved August 30, 2023.
- ^ Kroman, David (August 4, 2023). "Plans for long-delayed Seattle streetcar line hit City Hall snag". The Seattle Times. Retrieved August 30, 2023.
- ^ Kroman, David (January 19, 2024). "Cost estimates soar for potential new downtown Seattle streetcar". The Seattle Times. Retrieved January 19, 2024.
- ^ a b c d Seattle Streetcar Map (PDF) (Map). Seattle Department of Transportation. December 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 27, 2017. Retrieved January 12, 2019.
- ^ Beason, Tyrone (February 19, 2015). "Pioneer Square: Seattle's original neighborhood is starting over". The Seattle Times. Retrieved January 12, 2019.
- ^ Lindblom, Mike (May 26, 2009). "International District/Chinatown Station is switching point for many commuters". The Seattle Times. p. B1. Retrieved January 12, 2019.
- ^ Richard, Terry (February 17, 2015). "Bruce Lee tour at Seattle's Wing Luke Museum in Chinatown features local memories of martial arts movie star". The Oregonian. Retrieved January 12, 2019.
- ^ Campbell, Alyssa (May 4, 2015). "Heart of Little Saigon prepares for a makeover". Crosscut.com. Retrieved January 12, 2019.
- ^ a b Lindblom, Mike (March 14, 2016). "Take a look inside Capitol Hill's long-awaited light-rail station". The Seattle Times. p. B1. Retrieved January 12, 2019.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Seattle Streetcar First Hill Line Operations & Maintenance Plan" (PDF). Seattle Department of Transportation. February 2012. pp. 2–9. Retrieved January 13, 2019 – via Seattle City Clerk.
- ^ Nickerson, Angela (May 15, 2013). "First Hill streetcar update". Capitol Hill Times.
- ^ a b "Broadway Streetcar Extension Transportation Technical Report" (PDF). Seattle Department of Transportation. September 17, 2013. p. 1-6. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 30, 2016. Retrieved January 14, 2019.
- ^ Mah, Norm (November 18, 2015). "First Hill Streetcar Line Wayfinding Maps Installed". Seattle Department of Transportation. Retrieved January 13, 2019.
- ^ a b "First Hill Line". Seattle Streetcar. Retrieved January 12, 2019.
- ^ Downtown Metro Service (PDF) (Map). King County Metro. September 2018. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 9, 2019. Retrieved January 13, 2019.
- ^ "Amended and Restated Interlocal Agreement between King County and the City of Seattle Regarding The Seattle Streetcar System". King County Metro. October 13, 2014. Retrieved January 12, 2019.
- ^ "Seattle Streetcar: Budget Overview" (PDF). City of Seattle 2017 Adopted and 2018 Endorsed Budget. City of Seattle. November 2016. pp. 451–454. Retrieved January 12, 2019.
- ^ Klacza, Patrick (February 18, 2016). "Are The New Generation Of Streetcars A Solution Or Just A Novelty?". Popular Science. Retrieved January 13, 2019.
- ^ Gutman, David (July 24, 2018). "Seattle's new streetcars may be too big to fit tracks, maintenance barn, mayor's office says". The Seattle Times. Retrieved January 13, 2019.
- ^ "Accessibility". Seattle Streetcar. Retrieved January 13, 2019.
- ^ "Frequently Asked Questions". Seattle Streetcar. Retrieved January 13, 2019.
- ^ "Seattle accelerates its light rail plans". Tramways & Urban Transit. August 22, 2016. Retrieved January 13, 2019.
- ^ "Inekon Group zahájil výrobu tramvají pro USA" [Inekon Group starts production of trams for USA] (Press release) (in Czech). Inekon Trams. January 29, 2013. Archived from the original on September 14, 2015. Retrieved January 25, 2016.
- ^ Lindblom, Mike (March 28, 2015). "New First Hill streetcars readied for test runs". The Seattle Times. Retrieved January 13, 2019.
- ^ Lindblom, Mike (November 6, 2013). "Streetcar garage, or Seattle's new Chia Pet?". The Seattle Times. Retrieved January 13, 2019.
External links
- Media related to First Hill Streetcar at Wikimedia Commons
- First Hill Line from Seattle Streetcar website