Waterfront Streetcar
Encyclopedia
The Waterfront Streetcar, officially the George Benson Waterfront Streetcar Line, was a 1.6 miles (2.6 km)-long streetcar line
run by Metro Transit in Seattle, Washington
, so named because much of its route was along Alaskan Way on the Elliott Bay
waterfront. Service began on May 29, 1982, which was the first streetcar run in Seattle since April 13, 1941.
The streetcar has been suspended since November 18, 2005, when the maintenance barn and Broad Street station were demolished to make room for the Seattle Art Museum
's Olympic Sculpture Park
. While the track and eight of the nine stations remain in place, it is unclear when or if the line will return.
The streetcar service was replaced by Metro bus Route 99, using buses which were wrapped
to look like streetcars. However when the route was revised to run north on 1st Ave, the wrapping was eliminated in February 2011. Although there had first been rumours that the streetcars had been sold on eBay
or shipped to Tennessee
, they are currently stored in a Metro Transit warehouse in the SoDo
district.
, Australia, by George Benson (1919–2004), a former pharmacist, who was a Seattle City Councilman from 1973 to 1993. They had been Melbourne and Metropolitan Tramways Board cars 482, 512 and 518, and they kept those numbers in Seattle. Two more Melbourne streetcars were acquired between 1990 and 1993. All were W2-class trams that had originally been built between 1925 and 1930. In 1990, the line was extended by one-quarter mile, along Main Street and 5th Avenue, to Jackson Street, to connect to the International District/Chinatown Station of the then-new Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel. The extension opened for regular service on June 23, 1990. The line's fourth ex-Melbourne streetcar, No. 272, entered service earlier that month. A fifth car of the same type, No. 605, entered service later.
The streetcar ceased operation on November 18, 2005, when the maintenance barn was demolished to make room for the Seattle Art Museum
's Olympic Sculpture Park
. A new maintenance barn was proposed to be built at Occidental Park to allow the resumption of operations as early as summer 2007. However, Metro cancelled involvement after delays made the new facility unlikely to be completed before the demolition of the Alaskan Way Viaduct
began. An alternative proposal by the Port of Seattle
was to extend the line northward along Myrtle Edwards Park
to Smith Cove
, where a new maintenance barn would be built on Port property. This proposal was not pursued. Due to a portion of the line's close proximity to the viaduct, service may need to remain suspended during construction. Service may not be able to return to the line until the completion of construction of the new Alaskan Way Tunnel
, projected to be in 2018.
Currently, there is no set plan for returning the line to service at any date. As Seattle Mayor, Greg Nickels
suggested that a proposed First Avenue streetcar line may be considered a replacement of the Waterfront line, and the Melbourne cars may be used for special occasions. However, current mayor Mike McGinn has expressed reluctance to build a First Avenue line and has suggested that a return of the Waterfront line may be considered.
In 2007, two years into the suspension of service, the route was named by National Geographic Society as one of the 10 Great Streetcar routes.
east to 5th Avenue S. it ran in the center median, with its last block on the west side of 5th Avenue between S. Main and S. Jackson Streets. The line originally ended at Broad Street, but because construction of the Olympic Sculpture Park
led to the closing and demolition of the maintenance barn and the station stop located there, the last station stop is currently located at Vine Street, which would more than likely be the end of the line should service ever resume. However, the tracks still extend as far as Broad Street allowing for the possibility of a future station stop to be built across the street from the former station on the corner of Broad Street and Alaskan Way.
All of the stations (with the exception of the Occidental Park and Jackson Street stations) along the Alaskan Way were originally painted brown when the line first opened. In 2004, all of these stations were repainted in Marine Blue and refurbished. The Occidental and Jackson stations were designed to reflect the surrounding architecture along the streets when the line was extended in 1990. The Jackson Street stop featured an Asian Pagoda-style station while Occidental park had a vintage-style station.
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
run by Metro Transit in Seattle, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
, so named because much of its route was along Alaskan Way on the Elliott Bay
Elliott Bay
Elliott Bay is the body of water on which Seattle, Washington, is located. A line drawn from Alki Point in the south to West Point in the north serves to mark the generally accepted division between the bay and the open sound...
waterfront. Service began on May 29, 1982, which was the first streetcar run in Seattle since April 13, 1941.
The streetcar has been suspended since November 18, 2005, when the maintenance barn and Broad Street station were demolished to make room for the Seattle Art Museum
Seattle Art Museum
The Seattle Art Museum is an art museum located in Seattle, Washington, USA. It maintains three major facilities: its main museum in downtown Seattle; the Seattle Asian Art Museum in Volunteer Park on Capitol Hill, and the Olympic Sculpture Park on the central Seattle waterfront, which opened on...
's Olympic Sculpture Park
Olympic Sculpture Park
The Olympic Sculpture Park is a public park in Seattle, Washington that opened on January 20, 2007.The park consists of a outdoor sculpture museum and beach. The park was designed by Weiss/Manfredi Architects, along with Charles Anderson Landscape Architecture and other consultants. It is...
. While the track and eight of the nine stations remain in place, it is unclear when or if the line will return.
The streetcar service was replaced by Metro bus Route 99, using buses which were wrapped
Wrap advertising
Wrap advertising is the marketing practice of completely or partially covering a vehicle in an advertisement or livery, thus turning it into a mobile billboard. This can be achieved by simply painting the vehicle surface, but it is becoming more common today to use large vinyl sheets as decals...
to look like streetcars. However when the route was revised to run north on 1st Ave, the wrapping was eliminated in February 2011. Although there had first been rumours that the streetcars had been sold on eBay
EBay
eBay Inc. is an American internet consumer-to-consumer corporation that manages eBay.com, an online auction and shopping website in which people and businesses buy and sell a broad variety of goods and services worldwide...
or shipped to Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
, they are currently stored in a Metro Transit warehouse in the SoDo
Sodo
Sodo or Wolaita Sodo is a town in south-central Ethiopia. The administrative center of the Wolaita Zone of the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples Region, Sodo has a latitude and longitude of with an elevation between 1600 and 2100 meters above sea level...
district.
History
Service began on May 29, 1982, which was the first streetcar run in Seattle since April 13, 1941. The first three streetcars had been brought to Seattle from MelbourneMelbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Australia, by George Benson (1919–2004), a former pharmacist, who was a Seattle City Councilman from 1973 to 1993. They had been Melbourne and Metropolitan Tramways Board cars 482, 512 and 518, and they kept those numbers in Seattle. Two more Melbourne streetcars were acquired between 1990 and 1993. All were W2-class trams that had originally been built between 1925 and 1930. In 1990, the line was extended by one-quarter mile, along Main Street and 5th Avenue, to Jackson Street, to connect to the International District/Chinatown Station of the then-new Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel. The extension opened for regular service on June 23, 1990. The line's fourth ex-Melbourne streetcar, No. 272, entered service earlier that month. A fifth car of the same type, No. 605, entered service later.
The streetcar ceased operation on November 18, 2005, when the maintenance barn was demolished to make room for the Seattle Art Museum
Seattle Art Museum
The Seattle Art Museum is an art museum located in Seattle, Washington, USA. It maintains three major facilities: its main museum in downtown Seattle; the Seattle Asian Art Museum in Volunteer Park on Capitol Hill, and the Olympic Sculpture Park on the central Seattle waterfront, which opened on...
's Olympic Sculpture Park
Olympic Sculpture Park
The Olympic Sculpture Park is a public park in Seattle, Washington that opened on January 20, 2007.The park consists of a outdoor sculpture museum and beach. The park was designed by Weiss/Manfredi Architects, along with Charles Anderson Landscape Architecture and other consultants. It is...
. A new maintenance barn was proposed to be built at Occidental Park to allow the resumption of operations as early as summer 2007. However, Metro cancelled involvement after delays made the new facility unlikely to be completed before the demolition of the Alaskan Way Viaduct
Alaskan Way Viaduct
The Alaskan Way Viaduct, completed on April 4, 1953, is a double-decked elevated section of State Route 99 that runs along the Elliott Bay waterfront in Seattle's Industrial District and downtown Seattle. It is the smaller of the two major north–south traffic corridors through Seattle ,...
began. An alternative proposal by the Port of Seattle
Port of Seattle
The Port of Seattle is a port district that runs Seattle's seaport and airport. Its creation was approved by the voters of King County, Washington, on September 5, 1911, authorized by the Port District Act. It is run by a five-member commission. The commissioners' terms run four years...
was to extend the line northward along Myrtle Edwards Park
Myrtle Edwards Park
Myrtle Edwards Park in Seattle, Washington is a 4.8 acre public park along the Elliott Bay waterfront north of Belltown. It features a 1.25-mile long bicycle and walking path and is a good place to see eagles, gulls, and crows....
to Smith Cove
Smith Cove (Washington)
Smith Cove is a body of water, the northern part of Seattle, Washington's Elliott Bay, immediately south of the area that has been known since 1894 as Interbay...
, where a new maintenance barn would be built on Port property. This proposal was not pursued. Due to a portion of the line's close proximity to the viaduct, service may need to remain suspended during construction. Service may not be able to return to the line until the completion of construction of the new Alaskan Way Tunnel
Proposed replacement of the Alaskan Way Viaduct
The Alaskan Way Viaduct is a viaduct bridge in the city of Seattle, Washington, that carries Washington State Route 99 over the Elliott Bay waterfront between the city's Industrial District and Belltown...
, projected to be in 2018.
Currently, there is no set plan for returning the line to service at any date. As Seattle Mayor, Greg Nickels
Greg Nickels
Gregory J. "Greg" Nickels was the 51st mayor of Seattle, Washington. He took office on January 1, 2002 and was reelected to a second term in 2005. In August 2009, Nickels finished third in the primary election for Seattle mayor, failing to qualify for the November 2009 general election, and...
suggested that a proposed First Avenue streetcar line may be considered a replacement of the Waterfront line, and the Melbourne cars may be used for special occasions. However, current mayor Mike McGinn has expressed reluctance to build a First Avenue line and has suggested that a return of the Waterfront line may be considered.
In 2007, two years into the suspension of service, the route was named by National Geographic Society as one of the 10 Great Streetcar routes.
Route
The line ran mostly northwest-southeast along Alaskan Way on abandoned Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway trackage. From S. Main Street in Pioneer SquarePioneer Square, Seattle, Washington
Pioneer Square is a neighborhood in the southwest corner of Downtown Seattle, Washington, USA. It was once the heart of the city: Seattle's founders settled there in 1852, following a brief six-month settlement at Alki Point on the far side of Elliott Bay. The early structures in the neighborhood...
east to 5th Avenue S. it ran in the center median, with its last block on the west side of 5th Avenue between S. Main and S. Jackson Streets. The line originally ended at Broad Street, but because construction of the Olympic Sculpture Park
Olympic Sculpture Park
The Olympic Sculpture Park is a public park in Seattle, Washington that opened on January 20, 2007.The park consists of a outdoor sculpture museum and beach. The park was designed by Weiss/Manfredi Architects, along with Charles Anderson Landscape Architecture and other consultants. It is...
led to the closing and demolition of the maintenance barn and the station stop located there, the last station stop is currently located at Vine Street, which would more than likely be the end of the line should service ever resume. However, the tracks still extend as far as Broad Street allowing for the possibility of a future station stop to be built across the street from the former station on the corner of Broad Street and Alaskan Way.
Stations
| Name | Neighborhood | Location | Other | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waterfront Streetcar | |||||
| Jackson Street | International District International District, Seattle, Washington The Chinatown-International District of Seattle, Washington is an ethnic enclave neighborhood and is the center of Seattle's Asian American community. The neighborhood is multiethnic, consisting mainly of people who are of Chinese, Japanese, and Filipino ethnicity... | S. Jackson Street and Fifth Avenue S. | Connections to Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel and King Street Station. Served Qwest Field Qwest Field CenturyLink Field is a multi-purpose stadium in Seattle, Washington, United States. It serves as the home field for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League and Seattle Sounders FC of Major League Soccer... , Safeco Field Safeco Field Safeco Field is a retractable roof baseball stadium located in Seattle, Washington. The stadium, owned and operated by the Washington-King County Stadium Authority, is the home stadium of the Seattle Mariners of Major League Baseball and has a seating capacity of 47,878 for baseball... , Uwajimaya Uwajimaya Uwajimaya, Inc., doing business as , is a family-owned supermarket chain with its corporate headquarters in the Industrial District, Seattle, Washington, and with locations in Greater Seattle. Uwajimaya sells mainly Asian food—with an emphasis on Japanese—though it also stocks Western staples... | ||
| Occidental Park Occidental Park (Seattle) Occidental Park, also referred to as Occidental Square and Occidental Mall , is a 0.6 acre public park located in the Pioneer Square district of Seattle, Washington. Created in 1971, it essentially consists of the Occidental Avenue S. right-of-way between S. Washington and S... | Pioneer Square Pioneer Square, Seattle, Washington Pioneer Square is a neighborhood in the southwest corner of Downtown Seattle, Washington, USA. It was once the heart of the city: Seattle's founders settled there in 1852, following a brief six-month settlement at Alki Point on the far side of Elliott Bay. The early structures in the neighborhood... | S. Main Street and Occidental Avenue S. | Served Pioneer Square Pioneer Square, Seattle, Washington Pioneer Square is a neighborhood in the southwest corner of Downtown Seattle, Washington, USA. It was once the heart of the city: Seattle's founders settled there in 1852, following a brief six-month settlement at Alki Point on the far side of Elliott Bay. The early structures in the neighborhood... , Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park is a United States National Historical Park commemorating the Klondike Gold Rush of the late 1890s. The gold rush was in the Yukon Territory, and this park comprises staging areas for the trek there, and routes leading in its direction... | ||
| Washington Street | Central Waterfront Central Waterfront, Seattle The Central Waterfront of Seattle, in the state of Washington, USA, is the most urbanized portion of the Elliott Bay shore. It runs from the Pioneer Square shore roughly northwest past Downtown Seattle and Belltown, ending at the Broad Street site of the Olympic Sculpture Park.The Central... | Washington Street and Alaskan Way | Connection to Vashon Island Passenger Ferry. Served Pioneer Square Pioneer Square, Seattle, Washington Pioneer Square is a neighborhood in the southwest corner of Downtown Seattle, Washington, USA. It was once the heart of the city: Seattle's founders settled there in 1852, following a brief six-month settlement at Alki Point on the far side of Elliott Bay. The early structures in the neighborhood... , Harbor Entrance Pergola | ||
| Madison Street | Central Waterfront Central Waterfront, Seattle The Central Waterfront of Seattle, in the state of Washington, USA, is the most urbanized portion of the Elliott Bay shore. It runs from the Pioneer Square shore roughly northwest past Downtown Seattle and Belltown, ending at the Broad Street site of the Olympic Sculpture Park.The Central... | Madison Street and Alaskan Way | Connections to Washington State Ferries Washington State Ferries Washington State Ferries is a passenger and automobile ferry service owned and operated by the Washington State Department of Transportation that serves communities on Puget Sound and in the San Juan Islands. It is the most used ferry system in the world and the largest passenger and automobile... Colman Dock Colman Dock Colman Dock, also called Pier 52 is an important ferry terminal in Seattle, Washington. The original pier is no longer in existence, but the terminal used by the Washington State Ferry system, and is still called “Colman Dock”-Location:... (Bainbridge Island Bainbridge Island, Washington Bainbridge Island is a city in Kitsap County, Washington, United States, and the name of the island in Puget Sound on which the city is situated... , Bremerton Bremerton, Washington Bremerton is a city in Kitsap County, Washington, United States. The population was 38,790 at the 2011 State Estimate, making it the largest city on the Olympic Peninsula. Bremerton is home to Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and the Bremerton Annex of Naval Base Kitsap... ), West Seattle Water Taxi West Seattle Water Taxi The King County Water Taxi is a service operated by the King County Ferry District. It operates two routes, the West Seattle/Downtown Seattle Route and the Vashon Island/Downtown Seattle route.-Downtown Seattle/West Seattle:The West Seattle route crosses Elliott Bay from Pier 50 on the downtown... | ||
| University Street | Central Waterfront Central Waterfront, Seattle The Central Waterfront of Seattle, in the state of Washington, USA, is the most urbanized portion of the Elliott Bay shore. It runs from the Pioneer Square shore roughly northwest past Downtown Seattle and Belltown, ending at the Broad Street site of the Olympic Sculpture Park.The Central... | University Street and Alaskan Way | Served Waterfront Park Waterfront Park (Seattle) Waterfront Park is a public park on the Central Waterfront, Downtown, Seattle, Washington, USA. Designed by the Bumgardner Partnership and consultants, it was constructed on the site of the former Schwabacher Wharf .-History of the site:... , Bay Pavilion, Harbor Steps, Seattle Art Museum Seattle Art Museum The Seattle Art Museum is an art museum located in Seattle, Washington, USA. It maintains three major facilities: its main museum in downtown Seattle; the Seattle Asian Art Museum in Volunteer Park on Capitol Hill, and the Olympic Sculpture Park on the central Seattle waterfront, which opened on... , Downtown | ||
| Pike Street | Central Waterfront Central Waterfront, Seattle The Central Waterfront of Seattle, in the state of Washington, USA, is the most urbanized portion of the Elliott Bay shore. It runs from the Pioneer Square shore roughly northwest past Downtown Seattle and Belltown, ending at the Broad Street site of the Olympic Sculpture Park.The Central... | Pike Street and Alaskan Way | Served Seattle Aquarium Seattle Aquarium The Seattle Aquarium is a public aquarium opened in 1977 and located on Pier 59 on the Elliott Bay waterfront in Seattle, Washington, USA. It is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums .-History:... , Pike Hillclimb, Pike Place Market Pike Place Market Pike Place Market is a public market overlooking the Elliott Bay waterfront in Seattle, Washington, United States. The Market opened August 17, 1907, and is one of the oldest continually operated public farmers' markets in the United States. It is a place of business for many small farmers,... | ||
| Bell Street | Central Waterfront Central Waterfront, Seattle The Central Waterfront of Seattle, in the state of Washington, USA, is the most urbanized portion of the Elliott Bay shore. It runs from the Pioneer Square shore roughly northwest past Downtown Seattle and Belltown, ending at the Broad Street site of the Olympic Sculpture Park.The Central... | Bell Street and Alaskan Way | Served Belltown Belltown, Seattle, Washington Belltown is a neighborhood in Seattle, Washington, United States, in the 98121 Zip Code, located on the city's downtown waterfront, on land that was artificially flattened as part of a regrading project... , Bell Street Pier | ||
| Vine Street | Central Waterfront Central Waterfront, Seattle The Central Waterfront of Seattle, in the state of Washington, USA, is the most urbanized portion of the Elliott Bay shore. It runs from the Pioneer Square shore roughly northwest past Downtown Seattle and Belltown, ending at the Broad Street site of the Olympic Sculpture Park.The Central... | Vine Street and Alaskan Way | Served Port of Seattle Port of Seattle The Port of Seattle is a port district that runs Seattle's seaport and airport. Its creation was approved by the voters of King County, Washington, on September 5, 1911, authorized by the Port District Act. It is run by a five-member commission. The commissioners' terms run four years... headquarters, Victoria Clipper Victoria Clipper Clipper Navigation, Inc. is a privately held company based in Seattle, Washington that provides multiple transportation and vacation packages, many of which are offered under the name Clipper Vacations.... , The Edgewater The Edgewater The Edgewater is a four-story, 223-room hotel in Seattle, Washington. It is located on the Central Waterfront on a pier over Elliott Bay and is the only over-water, and water-front hotel in the Seattle area... , The Art Institute of Seattle The Art Institute of Seattle The Art Institute of Seattle in Seattle, Washington is one of The Art Institutes, a system of more than 40 educational institutions located throughout North America, providing education in design, media arts, fashion and culinary arts... , Real Networks | ||
| Broad Street | Central Waterfront Central Waterfront, Seattle The Central Waterfront of Seattle, in the state of Washington, USA, is the most urbanized portion of the Elliott Bay shore. It runs from the Pioneer Square shore roughly northwest past Downtown Seattle and Belltown, ending at the Broad Street site of the Olympic Sculpture Park.The Central... | Broad Street and Alaskan Way | Served Myrtle Edwards Park Myrtle Edwards Park Myrtle Edwards Park in Seattle, Washington is a 4.8 acre public park along the Elliott Bay waterfront north of Belltown. It features a 1.25-mile long bicycle and walking path and is a good place to see eagles, gulls, and crows.... , Seattle Center Seattle Center Seattle Center is a park and arts and entertainment center in Seattle, Washington. The campus is the site used in 1962 by the Century 21 Exposition. It is located just north of Belltown in the Lower Queen Anne neighborhood.-Attractions:... . Note: This station was demolished along with the maintenance barn to make way for the Olympic Sculpture Park Olympic Sculpture Park The Olympic Sculpture Park is a public park in Seattle, Washington that opened on January 20, 2007.The park consists of a outdoor sculpture museum and beach. The park was designed by Weiss/Manfredi Architects, along with Charles Anderson Landscape Architecture and other consultants. It is... , thus causing the line’s closure. | ||
| End of line | |||||
All of the stations (with the exception of the Occidental Park and Jackson Street stations) along the Alaskan Way were originally painted brown when the line first opened. In 2004, all of these stations were repainted in Marine Blue and refurbished. The Occidental and Jackson stations were designed to reflect the surrounding architecture along the streets when the line was extended in 1990. The Jackson Street stop featured an Asian Pagoda-style station while Occidental park had a vintage-style station.
See also
- Seattle Streetcar NetworkSeattle Streetcar NetworkThe Seattle Streetcar Network will be a system of streetcar lines in Seattle, radiating out from Downtown, in the U.S. state of Washington. One line has been in operation since 2007, and others are planned....
- South Lake Union StreetcarSouth Lake Union StreetcarThe Seattle Streetcar—South Lake Union Line is a streetcar line connecting the South Lake Union neighborhood to Downtown Seattle, United States. Service began on December 12, 2007...
- First Hill StreetcarFirst Hill StreetcarThe Seattle Streetcar—First Hill Line, commonly called the First Hill Streetcar, is a proposed streetcar line connecting the Capitol Hill, First Hill, and the International District neighborhoods in central Seattle...
External links
- Official site
- Route Map (now of the replacement bus route)