The much-anticipated First Hill Streetcar Project will move into construction in April with the goal of being in service in Spring 2014. The public is invited to join the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) for two open houses to learn about the upcoming construction of the First Hill Streetcar project. The open houses will be an opportunity to find out about construction impacts; how to stay informed of project progress; meet the project team; and learn about the route and stop locations. Both meetings will follow the open house format and no formal presentation will be given on either date so those interested may wish to attend only one meeting. Please feel free to drop in at any time.
The first open house will be held Tuesday, February 28, 5 – 8 p.m., at Union Station’s Ruth Fisher Boardroom in the Union Station located at 401 S Jackson Street between Fourth and Fifth avenues. The location is transit accessible, and on- and off-street parking is available nearby.
The second open house will be held Wednesday, March 7, 4 – 7 p.m. in the Broadway Room of the Silver Cloud Hotel located at 1100 Broadway between E Madison Street and E Union Street. This location is also transit-accessible and on- and off-street parking is available nearby, with limited free parking at the Silver Cloud Hotel.
The First Hill Streetcar Line will be an important link to the regional transit system. It will connect the neighborhoods of Capitol Hill, First Hill, Yesler Terrace, the Central Area, Chinatown International District, and Pioneer Square and serve major employment centers (Harborview, Swedish, and Virginia Mason medical centers) , institutions of higher education (Seattle Central Community College, Seattle University) and sporting venues (CenturyLink and Safeco fields).
The City of Seattle is developing the First Hill Streetcar through a partnership with Sound Transit, with funding provided through the 2008 voter approved Sound Transit 2 (ST2) transit expansion plan.
For further information, visit the project Website at www.seattlestreetcar.org.
The next step is planning for a connection of the First Hill and South Lake Union lines. SDOT has received a planning grant from the Federal Transit Administration to study options for this connection.