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First Hill Streetcar Contractor Pitches in at Chinatown/ID Community Cleanup

This past Saturday, May 11, was the 15th Annual Chinatown/ID Spring Clean, where neighborhood volunteers spent the morning fanning out through the community collectinggarbage, removing graffiti, and tidying up its green spaces.

The crew took their chain saws to overgrown hedges.

The crew took their chain saws to overgrown hedges.

This year the popular community event, also known as Keeping It Clean and Fine Since ’99, was joined by 17 volunteers from Stacy and Witbeck, Inc. (SWI) SDOT’s prime contractor on the First Hill Streetcar.   The SWI crew brought chainsaws and shovels, enabling them to thin out a hedge of trees on S Lane Street between Sixth and Maynard that had become a security concern for the many elderly pedestrians who regularly walk along the corridor.   Their volunteers also did a good deal of weeding and street sweeping.  In addition, SWI made a generous financial contribution to the effort, making them the official sponsor of the event.

Crew took a break for a quick group shot.

The crew took a break for a quick group shot.

A substantial piece of the 2.5 mile streetcar route runs along S Jackson Street in the heart of Chinatown/ID.  Recently, the contractor has been restoring the pavement in the curb lanes of Jackson, after completing extensive utility work that was needed before the streetcar tracks can be placed.  New gas and water lines were installed, along with important improvements to the electrical infrastructure and stormwater and sewer facilities.   Track construction itself began on Jackson in April and will continue into early 2014.

Construction on the entire route is slated to be complete by mid-2014.  For additional information, visit the project website at www.seattlestreetcar.org.