South Lake Union Streetcar

South Lake Union Streetcar

"SLUT" redirects here. For "Slut", see Slut (disambiguation)."Infobox rail line
name = South Lake Union Streetcar



image_width = 200px
caption = South Lake Union Streetcar before inauguration at the maintenance facility
type = Streetcar
system =
status = Active
start = South Lake Union, Seattle, Washington
end = Westlake Center, Downtown Seattle
stations = 11
open = December 12, 2007
close =
owner = City of Seattle
operator = King County Metro (Route #98)
character = At grade, in mixed traffic
stock =
linelength = convert|1.3|mi|km|adj=on
tracklength =
notrack =
gauge = Standard gauge (1,435 mm)
el = Overhead lines
speed =
elevation = |
{| Railway line headerThe South Lake Union Streetcar, or South Lake Union Trolley is a convert|1.3|mi|km|adj=on streetcar line connecting the South Lake Union neighborhood to Downtown Seattle, United States. Service began on December 12, 2007.

History

The line was originally envisioned by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen to help improve the South Lake Union neighborhood that his venture capital company, Vulcan Inc., is heavily invested in. [cite news |url=http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/74602_vulcan14.shtml | title=Allen envisions streetcars serving South Lake Union | publisher=Seattle Post-Intelligencer | author=Todd Bishop | date=2002-06-14 | accessdate=2007-03-03] Allen's main supporter from the beginning was Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels, but he was not universally supported by the Seattle City Council, which was concerned about the lack of public support for the line and questioned if it should be moved ahead of Seattle's other transportation needs. [cite news | url=http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/transportation/105841_streetcar25.shtml | title=Lake Union streetcar plan has council skeptics | publisher=Seattle Post-Intelligencer | author=Neil Modie | date=2003-01-25 | accessdate=2007-03-05]

After heavy lobbying by South Lake Union businesses, including Vulcan, the Seattle City Council approved the development of the neighborhood into a biotechnology and bio-medical research center. Included in that plan was funding to investigate a convert|2.6|mi|km|adj=on, US$45 million streetcar line. The line was approved in 2005 at a cost of $50.5 million, with $25 million paid by property owners along the streetcar's route and the remainder paid by federal, state, and local funds. [cite news | url=http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/transportation/243439_streetcar05.html | title=South Lake Union streetcar cost shocks neighbors | publisher=Seattle Post-Intelligencer | author=Kathy Mulady | date=2005-10-05 | accessdate=2007-03-03] .

Construction on the line began in summer 2006, and service began on December 12, 2007. Trolleys run every fifteen minutes. The line uses 3 Inekon 12 Trio 3-segment articulated streetcars, one red, one purple, and another orange.

Local residents claim that during construction it was originally known as the "South Lake Union Trolley", which abbreviates to S.L.U.T. While there is no evidence that this name was ever used as an official name, the acronym's popularity has caused it to become an unofficial one.cite web
url = http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/332081_slut18.html
title = SLUT -- Streetcar's unfortunate acronym seems here to stay
publisher = Seattle Post-Intelligencer
author= Kery Murakami
date = 2007-09-18
accessdate = 2007-09-19
] During its inaugural period, December 12, 2007 to December 31, the streetcar was free to ride. The fare was then increased to US$1.50. When the streetcar was free to ride ridership was 78,325, but once a fare was charged, ridership dropped to 12,369 for the first half of January. According to Seattle's Department of Transportation this drop in ridership was expected and the streetcar is meeting the city's predicted ridership of 950 per day, which is only 7.5% of the system's capacity of around 12,600 per day. [cite news | url=http://www.seattleweekly.com/2008-01-23/news/won-t-you-ride-the-s-l-u-t.php | title=Won't You Ride the S.L.U.T? | publisher=Seattle Weekly | author=Aimee Curl | date=2008-01-23 | accessdate=2008-01-25]

The streetcar has been involved in multiple minor collisions with motor vehicles and experienced several service stoppages. [cite news
url=http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004082238_webstreetcar19m.html | title=Streetcar hits SUV that ran red light | publisher=The Seattle Times Company | author=Seattle Times Staff | date=2007-12-19 | accessdate=2008-04-02
] [cite news
url=http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004323202_webstreetcar02m.html?syndication=rss | title=South Lake Union accident takes red streetcar out of service | publisher=The Seattle Times Company | author=Seattle Times Staff | date=2008-04-02 | accessdate=2008-04-02
]

The city is considering if the streetcar line would be the first of other streetcar lines that will serve the core Seattle area. [cite news
url=http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/transportation/342783_carwhere08.html
title=How many streetcars do we desire?
first=Larry
last=Lange
work=Seattle Post-Intelligencer
date=December 7 2007
accessdate=2008-01-10
] Among the proposals are to extend the South Lake Union Streetcar to the University of Washington and connect it to the currently mothballed Waterfront Streetcar. [ [http://www.cityofseattle.net/transportation/stcar_eastlake.htm SDOT: Seattle's Streetcar Network ] ]

References

ee also

List of town tramway systems in North America

External links

* [http://www.seattlestreetcar.org/ Seattle Streetcar, official site]
* [http://www.buildthestreetcar.org/ Build the Streetcar]
* [http://www.seattlestreetcaralliance.org/ Seattle Streetcar Alliance]
* [http://www.inekon-systems.com/showdoc.do?docid=284 Inekon Trio, official site]


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно сделать НИР?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • South Lake Union, Seattle, Washington — South Lake Union is a neighborhood in Seattle, Washington, so named because it is at the south tip of Lake Union. Like most Seattle neighorhoods, its precise boundaries are indeterminate, but it is bounded roughly by Denny Way on the south,… …   Wikipedia

  • Lake Union Park — While the property has been acquired by the City for the purpose of providing public park space, it is currently underutilized due to a lack of attractive park features. The Seattle Parks Foundation is addressing that issue by conducting a… …   Wikipedia

  • South Jordan Parkway (UTA station) — South Jordan Parkway Station statistics Address 10605 S. Grandville Ave. South Jordan, UT Coordinates …   Wikipedia

  • Portland Streetcar — A streetcar at the Portland State University stop Overview Type Streetcar line Daily ride …   Wikipedia

  • Transportation in Seattle — As with almost every other city in western North America, transportation in Seattle is dominated by automobiles, although Seattle is just old enough that the city s layout reflects the age when railways and streetcars (known locally as trolleys ) …   Wikipedia

  • King County Metro — Slogan We ll Get You There Parent King County Department of Transportation Founded January 1, 1973 Headquarters 201 S. Jackson St., Seattle …   Wikipedia

  • Seattle — This article is about the city. For other uses, see Seattle (disambiguation). Seattle   City   City of Seattle …   Wikipedia

  • Streetcars in North America — Electric streetcars, often called trams outside North America, once served transit needs in scores of North American cities. Most municipal systems were dismantled in the mid 20th century.Today, only New Orleans and Toronto still operate… …   Wikipedia

  • Paul Allen — Infobox Person name=Paul Allen birth date=Birth date and age|mf=yes|1953|1|21 birth place=Seattle, Washington occupation=Chairman, Vulcan Inc. Chairman, Charter Communications networth=loss $16.0 billion USD (2008) [cite web|accessdate=2008 03… …   Wikipedia

  • Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel — DSTT redirects here. For the Nintendo DS storage device, see Nintendo DS storage devices#DSTT. For the Division of Signal Transduction Therapy at the University of Dundee, see Division of Signal Transduction Therapy. Downtown Seattle Transit… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”