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John
Smatlak photos 
News and Updates
(scroll down for latest updates)
Update
7/2/01-
Due to construction of a new building along 5th Avenue South, the
south end of the trolley line has been shortened by a few hundred feet and
a new temporary terminal built along Main St. between 4th and 5th. Opened
in early June, the new station is a simple affair, built primarily of wood
with a concrete foundation. To accommodate the new station and the
adjacent construction site, the eastbound traffic lane on Main St. has
been closed between 4th and 5th. Because of the steep grade on Main St.,
passengers are not permitted to wait on board the car during layovers.
Also,
effective July 1, a .25 cent fare increase went into effect for all King
County Metro services, including the Waterfront Streetcar.
Update
8/02-
In celebration of the Waterfront Streetcar's 20th Anniversary, the
line has been renamed as the "George Benson Waterfront
Streetcar". The new name pays tribute to former Seattle
Councilmember George Benson and his key role in making the
streetcar a reality. The line's website has a page
with all the details, including photos
of the June 3 anniversary event.
Update
11/03-
Studies continue to examine potential route extensions, and
even a complete rebuild of the line in conjunction with
replacement of the Alaskan Way viaduct. The Seattle Department of
Planning and Urban Development has a website
which details a number of options for improving waterfront
connectivity. In other streetcar news, the line's stations are
receiving a facelift. A page on the King County Metro website
details the project, expected to be completed by the end of
2003.
Update
8/26/04- Plans for South Lake Union Streetcar continue to move
ahead. The Seattle Times reported the following news in an August
19 article: "The Seattle City Council yesterday set conditions for building a South Lake Union streetcar, including restrictions on the use of city funds, and released $2 million in state grants for preliminary design of the proposed 1.3-mile
line. The full council's unanimous vote also approved $360,000 to study streetcar extensions from South Lake Union to the University of Washington and from Pioneer Square to the Chinatown International and Central districts."
Also,
a detailed streetcar feasibility study commissioned by the Seattle
Department of Transportation was released on June 30, and provides
additional details about the proposed new line just north of
downtown Seattle. The line would use modern streetcar vehicles
similar to those now in operation in Portland and Tacoma. The
study also covers potential extensions of the existing Waterfront
Streetcar Line at both its north and south ends.
The
study also contains some discouraging news, reporting that the
existing line's maintenance building may need to be removed to
make way for the Seattle Art Museum's Olympic
Sculpture Park project. The study states that "King
County is conducting a separate study to identify potential new
locations to maintain the Waterfront Streetcar, but does not
currently have funding to relocate the facility". Further
complicating the situation is the planned project to replace the
aging Alaskan Way viaduct, in whose shadow the majority of the
present Waterfront Streetcar is now operated. The report indicates
that it is likely that only the extreme north and south ends of
the line could remain operable during the construction period,
estimated at this time to be eleven years.
Update
3/30/05- The saga of relocating the line's maintenance building
continues, although a potential solution may now be at hand.
Extensive press coverage about the impending shutdown of the line
has certainly helped to raise awareness about the issue, and the
Port of Seattle has stepped forward with an offer for an
alternative location. The Port has offered a location near its
Elliot Bay grain silos, about 1.2 miles to the north from the
present terminus of the line. The concept involves extending the
line, providing the added benefit of service to a nearby biotech
campus. This article
in the Seattle Times provides additional details. A
follow-up article
in the Seattle PI, however, points out the complexities of the
issue.
Update
7/27/05- The saga continues, and it looks as though the
Waterfront Streetcar line will be forced to shut down later this
year, at least for a time. Various alternatives for building a new
maintenance building continue to be studied, but none of the
options seem to provide for the existing facility to remain in
service pending construction of its replacement. The Port of
Seattle did recently contribute $1M towards a $9M plan to erect a
new facility in Pioneer Square, as detailed in this article
in the Seattle Times. The ongoing saga is also receiving
national attention, such as this article
in Mass Transportation magazine. The WSDOT
website also has extensive details on the Alaskan Way viaduct
and seawall replacement project, which is the other factor
influencing the need to mothball the streetcar service. According
to the website, the viaduct replacement work would begin in
2009.
Meanwhile,
construction of the new streetcar in the South Lake Union area
continues to move forward, receiving City Council approval in June
2005. The "Build
the streetcar" website contains project information and
updates.
Update
10/18/05- The end to the maintenance building saga has
finally arrived with the announcement that the line will
close for 18-24 months on November 18, 2005. This press
release from County Executive Ron Sim's Office provides
details of the proposed solution that will ultimately create a new
maintenance facility in the Pioneer Square area. Buses will be
substituted in the interim. Although the relatively small trolley
facility will be removed, it is interesting to note that the busy
multi-track BNSF railroad mainline will remain in place between
the park and the water's edge (see
this map of the proposed park). The maintenance facility is located
immediately west of the BNSF tracks (between the tracks and the
water).
While
it is good to hear that a solution has been worked out for the
construction of a new facility, it certainly offers an important
lesson to Vintage Trolley advocates about the need for
multi-generational political support. Once a project's original
champion is gone- will it continue to receive the same level of
political support? One is left wondering what George Benson's
views would have been on tearing down a perfectly functional
maintenance facility (which was funded by Seattle taxpayers)
without a replacement facility being ready. And all this in order
to have better views within a sculpture park that is already
bisected by a railroad mainline? Food for thought.
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This political cartoon
from a local paper became a screen saver inside the
maintenance building during its final months. Not
surprisingly, the decision to close the line was somewhat
controversial amongst the regular operators and staff. |
Update
12/1/06- One year after the line's closure, plans for a
new maintenance building have not yet come together. A June
29, 2006 article in the Seattle Times reported that the local
developer who was to build the new maintenance building as part of
a larger condo project, had pulled out of the deal. A November
15, 2006 article in the Seattle Times reported that the City
Council was considering reallocation of the funds set aside for
the new facility. Meanwhile, construction of the new Olympic
Sculpture Park has transformed the former location of the
maintenance building and is set to open in early 2007.
The
KC Metro website provided coverage
of the cars being moved to storage.
Update
12/13/06- A December
11 opinion piece in the Seattle P-I is urging the City to move
forward with stalled plans for a replacement trolley barn. A
December 7 article in the Seattle Times provided details of a
new proposal from developer Greg Smith to develop a mixed use
property in Pioneer Square with a trolley facility on its lower
floor.
 Update
11/2/07- Although there has been no word in recent months
regarding the fate of the Waterfront Streetcar Line, the new South
Lake Union streetcar line is preparing to open before the end
of the year. Click
here for a news article on the start of operational testing.
Links
Seattle
Streetcar website
City
Website on Streetcars
Essay
by George Benson on the development of the Waterfront Streetcar
WSDOT
website on Alaskan Way viaduct and seawall replacement project
Article
on 1982 Streetcar Inauguration
Seattle
page on the APTA Heritage Trolley site
Business
Journal article on Lower Queen Anne covering possible line extension
6/22/01
Business
Journal article on possible extension of trolley line 5/18/01
Downtown
Seattle Circulation Study
Official
Waterfront Streetcar Website
This
page was last updated on 11/2/07
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