First Hill Streetcar

First Hill Streetcar
Streetcar 402 after the line's inaugural run, January 23, 2016
Overview
Type	Streetcar
System	Seattle Streetcar
Status	Operating
Termini	Pioneer Square, Downtown Seattle Capitol Hill Station, Capitol Hill
Stations	10
Daily ridership	3,050 (December 2016)
Line number	96 (not used on headsign)
Website	First Hill Streetcar
Operation
Opened	January 23, 2016 (2016-01-23)
Owner	City of Seattle
Operator(s)	King County Metro
Character	Street running, in mixed traffic
Depot(s)	8th Ave S & S Dearborn St, Seattle
Rolling stock	Inekon Trio Type 121
Technical
Line length	2.5 miles (4.0 km)
Track gauge	4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Electrification	Overhead lines, 750 V DC
Route diagram Link light rail (Capitol Hill) Broadway & Denny Broadway & Pine Broadway & Pike Broadway & Marion Broadway & Terrace Yesler & Broadway 14th & Washington 12th & Jackson to maintenance facility 7th & Jackson 5th & Jackson Link light rail (Int'l District/Chinatown) Sounder & Amtrak (King Street Station) Occidental Mall to Center City Connector (2018) northbound / outbound only stop southbound / inbound only stop

The Seattle Streetcar—First Hill Line, commonly called the First Hill Streetcar, is a 2.5-mile (4.0 km) modern-streetcar line operating in Seattle. The line connects the Capitol Hill, First Hill, and the International District neighborhoods in central Seattle. It is one of two lines in the developing Seattle Streetcar system. Construction of the line began in April 2012, and was completed in June 2014, but delays in the delivery and testing of the streetcar vehicles delayed the opening of the line to January 2016.

First Hill is considered a regional destination due to its concentration of major medical facilities and Seattle University. It was to be served by a deep-bore Link light rail station as part of the North Link project. Due to high construction and engineering risk, Sound Transit removed the station from the North Link preferred route in July 2005. The First Hill Work Program did a study to evaluate alternative transit options to connect First Hill to the regional transit system. Neighborhood residents, institutions, and business owners strongly preferred a streetcar. Sound Transit plans to have 10 stops on the line.

The $134 million line is funded as part of the Sound Transit 2 mass transit expansion ballot measure approved by voters in November 2008. It was approved by the Seattle City Council in December 2008. Sound Transit developed an interlocal agreement with the City of Seattle for the City to design and construct the transit line. Construction began in late April 2012, and the line was originally scheduled to open in 2015.

There had been a debate on the exact routing of the First Hill streetcar line. A community group petitioned the city of Seattle to run the streetcar down 12th Avenue, 2 blocks east of Broadway. The First Hill Improvement Association, however, wanted the streetcar to run down Boren Avenue, turn right on Seneca Street and back to Broadway to bring it closer to the core of the neighborhood. The City selected a route on Broadway.