Not too long ago, the First Hill neighborhood thought it was getting something it desperately wanted: a subterranean light-rail station, right beneath the Swedish and Virginia Mason medical centers. When completed, this station would have had the effect of shortening transit times and shrinking bus crowds for people going to and from one of the densest neighborhoods in Seattle—just what First Hill, a center for hospitals, homes for the elderly, and low-income housing, feels it needs.
Then, in July of 2005, those dreams were crushed.
Difficult soil conditions meant too high of a price tag for the First Hill station, and so it was dropped from Sound Transit’s light-rail plans. To make amends, the City of Seattle and Sound Transit offered the neighborhood something else: a streetcar, which they promised would “directly serve First Hill employment centers.” In November 2008, voters approved $132.8 million for the project, which is expected to break ground in 2011 and be completed by 2013—assuming everyone can agree on the new streetcar’s route.
Which is turning out to be a serious challenge. First Hill isn’t the only neighborhood in the area that wants a piece of the project, nor is it the only one with a compelling case to make for increased transit service. Lately, Capitol Hill groups have been arguing that the new streetcar route—which in all scenarios begins at the current light-rail station in the International District and then runs up South Jackson Street on its way toward First Hill—should find a way to also run down a roughly mile-long stretch of 12th Avenue that has been completely ignored by transit and yet has been experiencing a bit of a building boom.
This stretch of 12th Avenue is now home to a collection of cute coffee shops, popular restaurants, new condo projects, and new Seattle University buildings that have popped up along the corridor in recent years, and advocates feel this corridor could boom even further with a trolley running right down the middle. To achieve their vision, they essentially want to turn the new streetcar route into a large loop that would keep the promise to First Hill by serving that neighborhood in one direction, but then help out the dream for 12th Avenue in the other direction.
Several possible alignments are now being circulated by the Seattle Department of Transportation, including the Capitol Hill advocates’ so-called “12th Avenue couplet.” These alignments are already being challenged and picked apart online, and there’s certain to be more questioning and politicking after a series of three public streetcar forums in the affected neighborhoods on December 15, 16, and 17.
There’s no doubt that First Hill has a strong case to make for its preferred streetcar alignment—an alignment that involves streetcar service in both directions through the neighborhood, with the route ultimately connecting to the incoming Capitol Hill light-rail station at Broadway and East Denny Way. Michael Gray, of the First Hill Improvement Association, argues that not only was his neighborhood promised this kind of service, it needs it: Over 50 percent of First Hill residents don’t own a car, and 70 percent of First Hill workers rely on transit to get to and from their jobs.
Gray has heard the argument for using the streetcar project to also help encourage development along 12th Avenue, but he isn’t moved. “The First Hill Streetcar isn’t necessarily the answer to those needs,” he said. He pointed out a recent Sound Transit study that found that 70,000 trips per day are being made to what he calls the “core” of First Hill and said that promoters of a 12th Avenue renaissance couldn’t mirror that number of trips in their wildest dreams. “Even if you built 12th Avenue up to the hilt, you wouldn’t have half of that,” he said.
But Kate Stineback, a leader of the Capitol Hill lobbying contingent, calls the situation on 12th Avenue “desperate.” She points out that unlike First Hill, which is already served by a multitude of bus routes, 12th Avenue currently has zero bus service and a number of local landowners who could be enticed to further develop their properties if the neighborhood really takes off. A streetcar could mean a completely new lease on life and a whole new world of potential for the area, and it would be invaluable in connecting 12th Avenue to the rest of the First Hill community and the city at large.
Gray and others counter that First Hill, with its greater height limits—160 to 240 feet, as compared to 40 to 60 feet along 12th—should be the sole target of any effort to spur development with this streetcar project.
But height limits can always be increased, there’s long-term potential with the 12th Avenue route that cannot be ignored, and in any case the beauty of the loop idea is that it takes what seems to be (and what First Hill wants to be) an either/or proposition and transforms it into a both/and proposition. First Hill gets its streetcar, 12th Avenue gets its streetcar, and the city gets another great bit of connective transit tissue between several growing neighborhoods—First Hill, Capitol Hill, 12th Avenue, and the International District.
One neighborhood’s sense of what it was promised years ago shouldn’t become a reason to blow that kind of opportunity now. 
The first of three public meetings on the new streetcar was held on Dec 15. The next two: Wed Dec 16, Yesler Community Center (917 E Yesler Way), 6–8 pm; Thurs Dec 17, Union Station (401 S Jackson St), 6–8 pm.
As someone who lives on First Hill and owns a business on Capital Hill, I think that Sarah Anne Lloyd is on the money when she says that First Hill’s “sense of what it was promised” shouldn’t govern the route of the planned streetcar. Sure, First Hill has lots of commuters. But does anyone really believe that hospital workers commuting to Seattle on the light rail will opt to transfer to a much longer streetcar ride from the ID instead of just leaving the Tunnel at University and hopping on a #2 or #12 bus? And I think it is important to consider the proposed location of the “promised” light rail station that failed to materialize. It is my understanding that it was planned for a location near the corner of Broadway and Madison, a location that would be serviced by all of the proposed streetcar routes, including the 12th Avenue Couplet. What First Hill is angling for is a major expansion of what was “promised”.
Thanks for the good reporting on this issue Sarah. I just want to clarify one thing about who I am. While I work at Capitol Hill Housing, I have been involved in this discussion primarily through the community development work we do on 12th Avenue in concert with the 12th Avenue Neighborhood Plan Stewardship Committee, an incredibly diverse group of neighbors, business owners, students and institutional reps. This group is connected to the Central Area Neighborhood Plan, since all area south of Madison is considered the Central Area, from both the City’s and neighborhood’s point of view. We have been involved in this discussion because of the lack of transit on 12th, but also because First Hill was not the only community “promised” a streetcar, as evidenced by this original FH Link Station Overlay Map: http://clerk.ci.seattle.wa.us/~ordpics/1….
Our goal is not to take the streetcar away from First Hill. Rather, to meet the service needs of First Hill (as promised), while achieving other neighborhood priorities. We are very much looking forward to the comparison of the three alignments on the table and an objective presentation of the results of this study, so that the best alignment can be chosen.
Nice writing, Sarah. The key here is as you say (and as Jim and Kate comment) that the Couplet is not designed to take away service from anyone, but instead to better connect neighborhoods (and I would absolutely add the Central District to that list, since having better north/south transit connections would make it far easier for CD folks to hang out on Cap Hill without feeling compelled to drive) and generate new network connections. You’re also extending the reach of LINK to more folks who can walk to the streetcar stops.
Great piece. I strongly agree with Jim @1: Commuters are already well served by, and will continue to be better served by, bus #s 2,3,4 and 12. All of these buses are more direct and more frequent than the streetcar will every be.
If 70% of workers are already utilizing this public transit, there is a high likelihood that they won’t be switching to the streetcar, which again, will not necessarily be faster. We’ve already seen the difficulty in getting people to switch modes with Link and that service usually is faster.
I’m sorry – but which Capitol Hill residents are clamoring to be inconvenienced by this 12th Avenue nonsense? I missed that part.
Who one in their right mind would prefer to ride a form of public transit that resembles a “loop” instead of a two-way street. Think of those retarded little airport trains that force you to ride in a full circle in order to get from Terminal C back to Terminal B. Now imagine having to commute to work that way.
Please stop treating mass transit like it’s some sort of a trophy or a garnish or something. It is supposed to be a way to get from here to there – easily and efficiently. With all these stupid squiggles and loops and this doubling-back business, it looks like this train would wind up being unnecessarily confusing, frustrating, and even slower than the SLUT.
to ‘footrace’ @5;
So your argument against the 12th Ave. couplet is that people who wish to go somewhere east of the N/S line would be too inconvenienced to walk an extra 2-3 city blocks to get to their destination and that those wishing to travel west of the S/N line would be too put-out to walk an extra 2-3 blocks to their destination? If they are really that lazy, they deserve to spend an extra 10-15 minutes stuck on the trolley riding around the entire loop! The only people who would be more than slightly inconvenienced would be 1/2 (going east or west) of the small minority of handicapped and elderly and they would be insulted to suggest that an extra 2-3 blocks would be an undue burden. The other half of this population wishing to go either east or west would benefit ever so slightly – a zero sum game. Lighten up, dude!
Another thing to think about (in favor of) the 12th Ave loop is to imagine what would happen to the already crowded vehicle traffic on Broadway if we had streetcars traveling in BOTH DIRECTIONS up and down Broadway for the majority of the distance. . . It’s already hard enough to take a left turn without trolleys running north and south. Think of how clogged Broadway would be with streetcars running in both directions on the same street.
Nice to see a huge bulbous of money that could have been used to alleviate overflowing bus routes in other neighborhoods (so full the buses go right by their stops w/o picking anyone up) so that all those hoards of people going from Broadway to the International District will soon have a brand new, primo ride. And we can all say good riddance to actually walking down Broadway then!
Great move, any of these routes should be just ridiculous enough they might even make the Lake Union trolley seem efficient.
The original sin is dropping the first hill light rail stop. So now we get a kluge solution that is a segment of a real street car line, which is further stretched to serve as many neighbeohoods as possible.
Will SDOT ever think system wide? Can’t we get a real analysis of what the needs are before we waste any more money on partial transit solutions?
Can anyone show me another streetcar line with as squirrelly of a route? The cities I have been in have pretty linear systems along arterials.
The presentation boards from SDOT promote “interconnected” neighborhoods – Chinatown, Little Saigon, First Hill, Capitol Hill. Yet there is no stop in Chinatown between the light rail station and I-5 (unless a two block side loop is added) making the first hill/light-rail route even longer), no stop at 12th/Jackson (the heart of Little Saigon, thereby discouraging use by shoppers to that area that today almost exclusively arrive by car), and while looping Cal Anderson park, there is no stop there), and without the addition side routes most of the institutions on First Hill are missed anyway.
Certain to cost a lot, but will there be the ridership? Are we creating another SLUT?
Re re-purposing streetcar service to the 12th Avenue neighborhood: You have to remember that the streetcar was conceived as remedial service for ST’s reneging on light-rail service to First Hill. The reason the Boren/Minor alignment makes sense is that it delivers for the hospitals and clinics, Seattle U, retirement homes, and commuters—just what the doctor ordered. Moving the alignment further east to stimulate growth on already hot 12th misses the point. It’s conceivable that streetcar service to First Hill could free up bus hours for use on 12th, if needed. Twelfth wants streetcar service, too? Well, isn’t that what the end of the line is for?
biking southbound downhill at 20 mph in the 12th avenue bike while negotiating tracks? bad news. if bikes have to deal with tracks, make sure the 12th avenue tracks are laid for northbound (uphill) traffic only, please. thanks for your consideration of these well-traveled bike routes.
The big advantage of a streetcar over a bus is that it can carry more people. Thus, it makes sense to run a streetcar where there are lots and lots of buses. Run the streetcar up First Hill and then reroute one (or more) of the buses that serve First Hill to 12th. The idea that running a streetcar will magically transform a place is silly. Commuters are smarter than that, and could care less whether the surface vehicle is running on rails or the road. They are interested in the fastest way to go (and streetcars are no faster, especially for the distance of this route).
Occasional riders are not so wise. Occasional riders assume that a rail system is faster or better. This is why lots of people will take the train to the airport even though they never took the bus to the airport (even though the bus got there just as fast). Guess who are also occasional bus riders: medical patients. If you tell a patient that they should take the train and then a particular bus, a lot of them will say “that sounds confusing, I might get on the wrong bus, or go the wrong direction, and buses are smelly, I’m paying for parking”. If you tell them about the (new) train and (one and only) streetcar (which, from the train station only goes one direction) they will take it. This is one of the key reasons that a route from the train station to each of the hospitals makes more sense.
I want to thank Kate Stineback for her public comments at the September 29 City Council meeting that encouraged the approval of the funding for the First Hill Streetcar. I remember that she insisted that the alignment study be “based on facts”. Let us begin by having a fact-based Stranger Story that compares the large redevelopment of Yesler Terrace with what may be a smaller potential development on 12th Avenue!
Apparently the argument is being made that available funding for public transportation should give high priority to encouraging development. I would point out that three of the four First Hill Streetcar options mentioned in this story will provide dual track service to encourage a very large redevelopment at Yesler Terrace that includes up to 5,000 housing units, plus large commercial space, plus large retail space.* While the 12th Avenue Couplet option cuts that service from dual track to single track, in order to favor development on 12th Avenue.
* http://www.realchangenews.org/index.php/…
The line should be as straight as possible, and as simple as possible — basic transit planning concepts that tend to result in successful lines. Go up the hill, then take Broadway both ways to Roy. This means direct service to Link, SCCC, SU, and Swedish, with “near” service to everything else.
Jim Erickson and I most certainly agree on the need for SDOT to produce objective data on the three routes being considered right now (I guess if you consider the three variations of the Boren alignment it is more). This is a very important process that will take place over the next 4 months. So far, the criteria for analysis are:
-bicycle integration
-ridership and economic development potential
-streetcar travel time
-capital and operating costs
-urban design opportunities
-utility conflicts
-traffic and parking revisions
All of these important points must also fall within the intent of the Interlocal agreement executed with Sound Transit, which promises to serve First Hill employment centers for the loss of the Link Station.
One thing though – I think Jim is confused about what “dual track” means. All this means is that the streetcar won’t run north and south on one set of the same tracks. Rather, the north and south tracks will be separated, i.e. dual. So, it is completely possible, within the framework of this agreement, for there to be one set of north tracks on one street and a set of south tracks on another. Ethan Malone from SDOT has confirmed this now many times. Whether or not a 3 block couplet is effective is a whole other question that we hope the study looks at in terms of “ridership”.
Why not a route blending the Boren/Minor with the 12th Ave? Down Boren, up Seneca, Broadway, Denny, 11th, Union, 12th?
Why not an alignment blending Boren/Minor with 12th? Boren, Seneca, Broadway, Denny, 11th, Union, 12th??
Why this street car avoids Boren between Yesler and Braadway??? Looks really unnecessary and indirect.
The planners need to show some work to us, and not just putting tracks over existing route 60 bus. I wanna see what will make it faster and how easy the connections to other modes of transit will be. I do not want to see another Mount Baker TC where you have to cross Rainier through traffic to get to the Light Rail.
ST and the city, also needs to advertise/work on transit services for disabled like Access, instead of involving them in new projects that are aimed to move large numbers of people at higher speeds. I went to a public meeting about bus service once and it was nothing but mentally or physically disabled folks who want buses to stop at every corner. When Access program was mentioned, many of them don’t even know what it is. The outcome is extremely slow transit that most people do not have time for.
Shawnason:
A three-block separation between the North- and Southbound lines is not a couplet. It is a loop – especially when the entire line runs fewer than 30 blocks.
There are two points that I’m hoping to make:
1) Public transit is only useful if it is faster & more efficient than walking. The biggest problem with this proposed streetcar is that walking down Madison still seems like a pretty darn good alternative to waiting around for the privilege of taking a scenic tour through First Hill by train (provided you are not a fatty suburban asshole who doesn’t know how to use his own two feet).
2) Public transit only works when people can easily conceptualize its routes. If you have to walk three blocks to even see where the train is running in the other direction, you’ve failed. If I were to explain to someone on the street that the streetcar runs up & down Broadway, they would thank me and then go ride the F’ing train. If, instead, I proudly told them that our silly little scale model train makes a Disneyland loop around the neighborhood and takes as many different streets as possible on its way, they will most likely sigh and lament the fact that people in this part of the world have been raised in a land so deprived of public transit that we have absolutely no idea what we’re doing. Then, they’ll try to hail a cab.
While I am a big supporter of transit, the streetcar itself is a waste.
For spending a lot of money, you get a mere couple minutes shaved off your commute versus a bus (streetcar rides in traffic), a non-adaptable route laid in concrete (unlike a bus), and the loss of ~200 parking spots along the route. I doubt the ridership of the streetcar will offset the further business-loss by making an already bad parking situation on Broadway worse.
If we’re going to have a street car, run it straight up Broadway all the way to Roy. This keeps the route simple. Also, stopping at Denny is an under-deliver of what Sound Transit said it would do with the cheapest streetcar route just a few years ago (was originally supposed to go at least to John).
If we’re going to have street car that runs in a loop, forget this 12th Ave silliness. Run the loop up to 15th Ave. That is where businesses are. People are capable of walking 2-3 blocks to 12th Ave.
The first option allows access to two of three hospitals on First Hill. It is easy to say that people can walk 2 or 3 blocks to the hospital and that may be true for commuters, but may not be true for the many elderly people who are the most frequent visitors or users of the hospitals and may be unable to drive. Option #1 would also better serve the many elderly people who reside in the first hill area.
An option that includes Harborview also would certainly also make sense, and would be likely to relieve the exasperating daily overcrowding on the #3 and #4 routes in the afternoon and evening.
12th Ave could certainly benefit from some additional transit, and a bus might be a safer alternative for the great many bicyclists who commute on 12th than one or two sets of rails.