The Seattle Streetcar Thread - Page 31

alexjonlin · September 16th, 2012, 11:56 AM

Honestly, in a transportation concept, $2m is not a lot of money. But this investment will unlock a lot more money, for federal grants and everything.

cameronrex · September 16th, 2012, 06:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alexjonlin

Honestly, in a transportation concept, $2m is not a lot of money. But this investment will unlock a lot more money, for federal grants and everything.

Definitely agree. I was recently in Switzerland where streetcars are a large part of many of their cities transport systems. They work really well. Would love to see a comprehensive network here.

CrazyAboutCities · October 31st, 2012, 09:37 PM

Streetcar design for Broadway extension to get $1.75 million federal grant

Mayor Mike McGinn is expected to announce today that the planned half-mile north Broadway streetcar extension will receive $1.75 million in federal grants. When a planned $1.25 million in city funds are added, the $3 million total should be enough to fully design a potential $25 million track project.

This spur would connect to the First Hill Streetcar now under construction, from the 2016 Capitol Hill Station to the existing International District/Chinatown Station. The First Hill Streetcar opens in early 2014, with the north Broadway extension to arrive a couple years later. Both will have a 10-foot-wide bicycle lane separated from traffic, but streetcars will be slowed by running in the general traffic lanes.

The Puget Sound Regional Council (a consortium of local governments assigned to distribute federal funds) includes $850,000 for Broadway in its regional awards for 2013, and is expected to allocate another $900,000 from a federal congestion relief and air-quality program. The half-mile extension enjoys widespread support from Capitol Hill business and community groups.

Tuesday’s timing dovetails with the mayor’s 2013-14 budget requests to plan streetcar or other high-capacity transit corridors, which the City Council is considering this week. McGinn proposes $2 million for Eastlake; another $300,000 city funds plus $900,000 Federal Transit Administration funds to plan a downtown link between South Lake Union and First Hill streetcars; $500,000 to study a transit-bike-pedestrian bridge over the Ship Canal west of Fremont; another $800,000 city funds plus $2 million from Sound Transit to study Ballard-to-downtown options; and $850,000 to plan a bus rapid-transit line on Madison Street, which is considered too steep for rail.

It’s unclear whether the Council will approve $2 million for Eastlake, but the other plans appeared to have solid Council support, as of Monday afternoon.

http://blogs.seattletimes.com/today/...federal-grant/

Matt the Engineer · October 31st, 2012, 09:59 PM

The Sun Break has a good summary of the Eastlake issue. Rasmmusen is trying to kill the Eastlake study and design to fund what is probably two or four buses for a year, probably for political reasons. And we wonder why Seattle's so far behind other cities when it comes to rail.

CrazyAboutCities · October 31st, 2012, 11:35 PM

Thanks for sharing. I didn't know about that.

Ruffhauser · November 1st, 2012, 12:39 AM

From todays DJC

http://www.djc.com/news/co/12046713.html

October 31, 2012

City gets funds to plan for Broadway streetcar extension
By JOURNAL STAFF

Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn announced on Tuesday that the city has secured funding to plan and design an extension of the First Hill streetcar line on Broadway.

The goal is to extend the line at least six blocks north from the currently planned terminus at East Denny Way. The line would go to East Roy Street or beyond. Landscaping, sidewalk upgrades, a bicycle track, wayfinding and signal improvements would be included.

The estimated cost for the six-block extension is $25 million.

The extension would add two or three stops and bring the line to the north end of Broadway's retail district.

The Puget Sound Regional Council has granted $850,000 in federal funds for the first phase of design and preliminary engineering for the extension. The agency has recommended that the city receive another $900,000 in federal funds to help complete design. Approval of that grant could come in early December.

The Seattle Department of Transportation expects to begin design in early 2013.

The total design is estimated to cost $3 million. The remaining $1.25 million not covered by federal funds will be paid for by the city.

SDOT is overseeing construction of the 2.5-mile First Hill streetcar line, which will go from Pioneer Square to Broadway and Denny on Capitol Hill.

The $133 million project begin in April and is slated to finish in the spring of 2014.

A timeline drafted by the city shows construction of the Broadway extension beginning in the second half of 2015 and finishing by July of 2016, coinciding with the expected opening of Sound Transit's Capitol Hill light rail station.

alexjonlin · December 4th, 2012, 09:36 PM

http://www.seattlestreetcar.org/docs...etter_size.pdf Cool, they're studying having the Broadway extension go all the way to Prospect!

cameronrex · December 4th, 2012, 10:27 PM

Roanoke is just a wee bit further.

CrazyAboutCities · December 5th, 2012, 03:41 AM

Wow! That is fantastic news! I didn't expect it would start that soon. I wonder if they even thought to extend streetcar beyond Aloha street someday? Or Just stop just north of Aloha street for good?

CityView Jim · December 5th, 2012, 05:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CrazyAboutCities

Wow! That is fantastic news! I didn't expect it would start that soon. I wonder if they even thought to extend streetcar beyond Aloha street someday? Or Just stop just north of Aloha street for good?

Maybe eventually link up with the Eastlake Line.

alexjonlin · December 5th, 2012, 07:31 AM

Yeah, like someone said it's only about a mile and a half from there to the base of the University Bridge, where it could join the Eastlake line and finally eliminate the 49.

CrazyAboutCities · December 6th, 2012, 06:52 AM

That would make sense.

8ball · December 6th, 2012, 10:28 AM

That's nice for Cap Hill, but they'd get way more riders if they could extend the existing SLU streetcar further into downtown and the ID. Is that completely off the radar now?

alexjonlin · December 6th, 2012, 10:35 AM

No, that's one of the top priorities! The North Broadway extension is getting to a high level of design because it's a really short, cheap little segment that would greatly increase the usefulness of the streetcar opening there in a year or two. The connector between Westlake and the ID is the next highest priority, and I'm guessing it will get to a very high level of design in the next couple years, after which they can start looking for federal funding that I think would be quite generous for this project.

jessejb · December 7th, 2012, 10:03 PM

Im wondering what this means for nightlife revenue. Will it bring hipsters down from the Hill to see what Pioneer Square looks like? Will it bring 21 year old suburban types up from the Square? I'd like to see this line run til 2am full of young revelers. Good fun.

Capitol Hill · December 9th, 2012, 01:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jessejb

Im wondering what this means for nightlife revenue. Will it bring hipsters down from the Hill to see what Pioneer Square looks like? Will it bring 21 year old suburban types up from the Square? I'd like to see this line run til 2am full of young revelers. Good fun.

Seattle's own "Mugger Mover".

uwhuskies · January 8th, 2013, 09:34 AM

Amazing find on Youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fz3PgEQW5G0

LCIII · January 8th, 2013, 01:16 PM

That IS amazing! Thanks for sharing!

Especially love seeing the kalakala in action 1:15 into the film.

Seasun · January 8th, 2013, 03:10 PM

Definitely a great film for transit but also the cityscape and fashions. This helps me see my grandparents' Seattle as they were just married at this time and the country was headed into war. All the narrative in the film about the old trolleys falling apart might have had something to do with little money available during the Depression. It's interesting that this transition to electric buses was done just before the war - probably wasn't terrible given the circumstances at the time given that just a year or so later all resources would be going to the war and getting workers to plants reliably would be critical (no copper going into new overhead wires and few new rubber tires for example unless it was deemed essential to the war effort)

A few of my highlights:

4:54 - Church still standing at 8th and John. Streetcar is on Dexter. Streetview

11:12 - White terra cotta mansion at 10th Ave E and E Howe on North Capitol Hill. Streetview

Funny that the Fremont Bridge is called old and the Ballard Bridge is called new in 1940 (now I guess they're just really old and old, respectively). Amusing that the worst canal crossing bridge for bikes/peds is the newest (not counting the I-5 bridge of course).

19:20 - Queen Anne counterbalance. Streetview

20:13 - Olympia Beer truck heading down the counterbalance

20:28 - Sick's Seattle Stadium where Lowes is today on Rainer.

RMacherat · January 8th, 2013, 10:03 PM

Although I don't go back quite that far, it was cool to see our city somewhat as I remember it. It would be interesting to see the reactions of those people to the cityscape of today (wow!) as well as our modern pedestrians (yikes!)

December 7th, 2012, 10:03 PM	#615
jessejb Registered User Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Seattle Posts: 2,724 Likes (Received): 107	Im wondering what this means for nightlife revenue. Will it bring hipsters down from the Hill to see what Pioneer Square looks like? Will it bring 21 year old suburban types up from the Square? I'd like to see this line run til 2am full of young revelers. Good fun. __________________ Le Tumblr: http://inanevergreenstate.tumblr.com/

January 8th, 2013, 09:34 AM	#617
uwhuskies Registered User Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 648 Likes (Received): 3	Seattle: 1940's Video (in Color!) Trolley System Amazing find on Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fz3PgEQW5G0

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September 16th, 2012, 11:56 AM	#601
alexjonlin Registered User Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 2,284 Likes (Received): 89	Honestly, in a transportation concept, $2m is not a lot of money. But this investment will unlock a lot more money, for federal grants and everything.

October 31st, 2012, 09:37 PM	#603
CrazyAboutCities Registered User Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Seattle, Washington Posts: 8,348 Likes (Received): 25	Streetcar design for Broadway extension to get $1.75 million federal grant Mayor Mike McGinn is expected to announce today that the planned half-mile north Broadway streetcar extension will receive $1.75 million in federal grants. When a planned $1.25 million in city funds are added, the $3 million total should be enough to fully design a potential $25 million track project. This spur would connect to the First Hill Streetcar now under construction, from the 2016 Capitol Hill Station to the existing International District/Chinatown Station. The First Hill Streetcar opens in early 2014, with the north Broadway extension to arrive a couple years later. Both will have a 10-foot-wide bicycle lane separated from traffic, but streetcars will be slowed by running in the general traffic lanes. The Puget Sound Regional Council (a consortium of local governments assigned to distribute federal funds) includes $850,000 for Broadway in its regional awards for 2013, and is expected to allocate another $900,000 from a federal congestion relief and air-quality program. The half-mile extension enjoys widespread support from Capitol Hill business and community groups. Tuesday’s timing dovetails with the mayor’s 2013-14 budget requests to plan streetcar or other high-capacity transit corridors, which the City Council is considering this week. McGinn proposes $2 million for Eastlake; another $300,000 city funds plus $900,000 Federal Transit Administration funds to plan a downtown link between South Lake Union and First Hill streetcars; $500,000 to study a transit-bike-pedestrian bridge over the Ship Canal west of Fremont; another $800,000 city funds plus $2 million from Sound Transit to study Ballard-to-downtown options; and $850,000 to plan a bus rapid-transit line on Madison Street, which is considered too steep for rail. It’s unclear whether the Council will approve $2 million for Eastlake, but the other plans appeared to have solid Council support, as of Monday afternoon. http://blogs.seattletimes.com/today/...federal-grant/

October 31st, 2012, 09:59 PM	#604
Matt the Engineer Registered User Join Date: Dec 2011 Posts: 1,167 Likes (Received): 109	The Sun Break has a good summary of the Eastlake issue. Rasmmusen is trying to kill the Eastlake study and design to fund what is probably two or four buses for a year, probably for political reasons. And we wonder why Seattle's so far behind other cities when it comes to rail.

October 31st, 2012, 11:35 PM	#605
CrazyAboutCities Registered User Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Seattle, Washington Posts: 8,348 Likes (Received): 25	Thanks for sharing. I didn't know about that.

November 1st, 2012, 12:39 AM	#606
Ruffhauser Registered User Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: North Belltown Posts: 1,428 Likes (Received): 261	From todays DJC http://www.djc.com/news/co/12046713.html October 31, 2012 City gets funds to plan for Broadway streetcar extension By JOURNAL STAFF Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn announced on Tuesday that the city has secured funding to plan and design an extension of the First Hill streetcar line on Broadway. The goal is to extend the line at least six blocks north from the currently planned terminus at East Denny Way. The line would go to East Roy Street or beyond. Landscaping, sidewalk upgrades, a bicycle track, wayfinding and signal improvements would be included. The estimated cost for the six-block extension is $25 million. The extension would add two or three stops and bring the line to the north end of Broadway's retail district. The Puget Sound Regional Council has granted $850,000 in federal funds for the first phase of design and preliminary engineering for the extension. The agency has recommended that the city receive another $900,000 in federal funds to help complete design. Approval of that grant could come in early December. The Seattle Department of Transportation expects to begin design in early 2013. The total design is estimated to cost $3 million. The remaining $1.25 million not covered by federal funds will be paid for by the city. SDOT is overseeing construction of the 2.5-mile First Hill streetcar line, which will go from Pioneer Square to Broadway and Denny on Capitol Hill. The $133 million project begin in April and is slated to finish in the spring of 2014. A timeline drafted by the city shows construction of the Broadway extension beginning in the second half of 2015 and finishing by July of 2016, coinciding with the expected opening of Sound Transit's Capitol Hill light rail station.

December 4th, 2012, 09:36 PM	#607
alexjonlin Registered User Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 2,284 Likes (Received): 89	http://www.seattlestreetcar.org/docs...etter_size.pdf Cool, they're studying having the Broadway extension go all the way to Prospect!

December 4th, 2012, 10:27 PM	#608
cameronrex Registered User Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Seattle Posts: 571 Likes (Received): 47	Roanoke is just a wee bit further.

December 5th, 2012, 03:41 AM	#609
CrazyAboutCities Registered User Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Seattle, Washington Posts: 8,348 Likes (Received): 25	Wow! That is fantastic news! I didn't expect it would start that soon. I wonder if they even thought to extend streetcar beyond Aloha street someday? Or Just stop just north of Aloha street for good?

December 5th, 2012, 07:31 AM	#611
alexjonlin Registered User Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 2,284 Likes (Received): 89	Yeah, like someone said it's only about a mile and a half from there to the base of the University Bridge, where it could join the Eastlake line and finally eliminate the 49.

December 6th, 2012, 06:52 AM	#612
CrazyAboutCities Registered User Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Seattle, Washington Posts: 8,348 Likes (Received): 25	That would make sense.

December 6th, 2012, 10:28 AM	#613
8ball Registered User Join Date: May 2009 Posts: 83 Likes (Received): 0	That's nice for Cap Hill, but they'd get way more riders if they could extend the existing SLU streetcar further into downtown and the ID. Is that completely off the radar now?

December 6th, 2012, 10:35 AM	#614
alexjonlin Registered User Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 2,284 Likes (Received): 89	No, that's one of the top priorities! The North Broadway extension is getting to a high level of design because it's a really short, cheap little segment that would greatly increase the usefulness of the streetcar opening there in a year or two. The connector between Westlake and the ID is the next highest priority, and I'm guessing it will get to a very high level of design in the next couple years, after which they can start looking for federal funding that I think would be quite generous for this project.

January 8th, 2013, 01:16 PM	#618
LCIII Registered User Join Date: Jun 2011 Posts: 2,888 Likes (Received): 66	That IS amazing! Thanks for sharing! Especially love seeing the kalakala in action 1:15 into the film.

January 8th, 2013, 03:10 PM	#619
Seasun Registered User Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Seattle Posts: 2,598 Likes (Received): 48	Definitely a great film for transit but also the cityscape and fashions. This helps me see my grandparents' Seattle as they were just married at this time and the country was headed into war. All the narrative in the film about the old trolleys falling apart might have had something to do with little money available during the Depression. It's interesting that this transition to electric buses was done just before the war - probably wasn't terrible given the circumstances at the time given that just a year or so later all resources would be going to the war and getting workers to plants reliably would be critical (no copper going into new overhead wires and few new rubber tires for example unless it was deemed essential to the war effort) A few of my highlights: 4:54 - Church still standing at 8th and John. Streetcar is on Dexter. Streetview 11:12 - White terra cotta mansion at 10th Ave E and E Howe on North Capitol Hill. Streetview Funny that the Fremont Bridge is called old and the Ballard Bridge is called new in 1940 (now I guess they're just really old and old, respectively). Amusing that the worst canal crossing bridge for bikes/peds is the newest (not counting the I-5 bridge of course). 19:20 - Queen Anne counterbalance. Streetview 20:13 - Olympia Beer truck heading down the counterbalance 20:28 - Sick's Seattle Stadium where Lowes is today on Rainer.

January 8th, 2013, 10:03 PM	#620
RMacherat Buy used books Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 1,831 Likes (Received): 108	Although I don't go back quite that far, it was cool to see our city somewhat as I remember it. It would be interesting to see the reactions of those people to the cityscape of today (wow!) as well as our modern pedestrians (yikes!)