First Hill Streetcar

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First Hill Streetcar routing (in orange) approved by the City Council in 2010. The loop at the south end has since been dropped, and the line will use only Jackson Street. The dashed line is a planned later extension farther north on Broadway. The Link light rail line is shown in blue, and the South Lake Union Streetcar is shown in light green.

The Seattle Streetcar—First Hill Line, commonly called the First Hill Streetcar, is a 2.5-mile (4.0 km)[1] modern-streetcar line[2] under construction in Seattle. The line will connect the Capitol Hill, First Hill, and the International District neighborhoods in central Seattle. It will be part of the Seattle Streetcar Network. Construction began in April 2012 and is scheduled to be completed in 2014.[3]

History

First Hill is considered a regional destination due to its concentration of major medical facilities and Seattle University. It was to be served by a deep-bore Link light rail station as part of the North Link project. Due to high construction and engineering risk, Sound Transit removed the station from the North Link preferred route in July 2005. The First Hill Work Program did a study to evaluate alternative transit options to connect First Hill to the regional transit system. Neighborhood residents, institutions, and business owners strongly preferred a streetcar.[4]

The $134 million[3] line is funded as part of the Sound Transit 2 mass transit expansion ballot measure approved by voters in November 2008. Sound Transit developed an interlocal agreement with the City of Seattle for the City to design and construct the transit line.[5] Construction began in late April 2012, and the line is scheduled to open in spring 2014.[1]

Route and stops

The line will begin at the terminus of the former Waterfront Streetcar, in the International District near the International District/Chinatown light rail/bus station, travel east on S. Jackson Street, then turn north on 14th Avenue to Yesler Way, and then up Broadway, ending near the Capitol Hill Link light rail station at Broadway and E John Street. Currently, funding has been secured for the design work on an extension to north Broadway.[6] An extension north to Aloha Street would be built if additional funding is available.[7]

Sound Transit plans to have 10 stops on the line.[4]

Routing debate

There has been an ongoing debate on the exact routing of the First Hill streetcar line. A community group petitioned the city of Seattle to run the streetcar down 12th Avenue, 2 blocks east of Broadway. The First Hill Improvement Association, however, wanted the streetcar to run down Boren Avenue, turn right on Seneca Street and back to Broadway to bring it closer to the core of the neighborhood.[8] The City selected a route on Broadway.

Proposed stops

Name Neighborhood Location Other
First Hill Streetcar
Pioneer Square Pioneer Square S. Jackson Street and Occidental Avenue S. Connections to Washington State Ferries, King County Water Taxi. Serves Occidental Park, Qwest Field, Safeco Field, Waterfront, Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park.
Chinatown/International District West Chinatown/International District S. Jackson Street and Fifth Avenue S. Connections to Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel and King Street Station. Serves Uwajimaya
Chinatown/International District East Chinatown/International District S. Jackson Street and 7th Avenue S. Serves Wing Luke Asian Museum, Kobe Terrace.
Little Saigon Little Saigon/International District S. Jackson Street and 12th Avenue S.
West Central District Central District 14th Avenue S. and S. Washington Street
Yesler Terrace Yesler Terrace E. Yesler Way and Broadway
First Hill South First Hill Broadway and Terrace Street Serves Harborview Medical Center.
First Hill North First Hill Broadway and Marion Street Serves Seattle University, Swedish Medical Center.
Pike/Pine Pike/Pine Broadway and E. Pike Street Serves Seattle Central Community College.
Broadway Capitol Hill E. Denny Way and Broadway Connection to Capitol Hill Station of Link Light Rail. Serves Cal Anderson Park. Future extension to Aloha Street proposed.
End of line

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "City of Seattle and Sound Transit Break Ground on the First Hill Streetcar" (Press release). Sound Transit. April 23, 2012. Retrieved August 21, 2012. 
  2. ↑ First Hill Connector project description
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Gutierrez, Scott (August 6, 2012). "How the streetcar construction is already changing First Hill". Seattle P-I. Retrieved August 21, 2012. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Sound Transit: First Hill Streetcar Project
  5. ↑ First Hill Project Schedule, City of Seattle Accessed December 27, 2011
  6. ↑ http://www.seattlestreetcar.org/broadway.htm
  7. ↑ Streetcar on Capitol Hill plan: Build sooner, save more, build more?
  8. ↑ FHIA Letter to Seattle Councilmember Jan Drago

External links

Mass transit in the Puget Sound region
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Italics denote lines or services which are planned, under construction, or otherwise not operating at the present time.

Coordinates: 47°36′18″N 122°19′15″W / 47.60489°N 122.320815°W / 47.60489; -122.320815

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