Trolleybuses in Seattle
New Flyer Xcelsior XT40 trolleybus on route 36 in Seattle's Chinatown-International District.
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|
| Operation | |
|---|---|
| Locale | Seattle, Washington, United States |
| Open | April 28, 1940 |
| Status | Operating |
| Routes | 15 |
| Operator(s) | 1940–1972: Seattle Transit System 1973–1994: Municipality of Metropolitan Seattle 1994–present: King County Metro |
| Infrastructure | |
| Electrification | 700 V DC, overhead wire |
| Depot(s) | Atlantic Base |
| Stock |
174 buses:
|
| Statistics | |
| Route length | 68 miles (109 km) |
| Passengers (2016) | 18,999,600  1.2% |
| Website | Metro online |
174 buses:
The Seattle trolleybus system forms part of the public transportation network in the city of Seattle, Washington, operated by King County Metro. Originally opened on April 28, 1940, the network consists of 15 routes, with 174 trolleybuses operating on 68 miles (109 km) of two-way overhead wires. As of spring 2016, the system carries riders on an average of 73,200 trips per weekday, comprising about 18 percent of King County Metro’s total daily ridership. At present in Seattle, a very common alternative term for trolleybus is trolley.
Of the five trolleybus systems currently operating in the U.S., the Seattle system is the second largest (by ridership and fleet size), after the San Francisco system.
The first trolleybus to operate on Seattle's streets was in 1937. It was brought to the city for a demonstration to gain public support for a plan to replace the debt-ridden streetcar and cable car system with a "trackless trolley" system. The demonstration was a success, but still reeling from the impacts of the Great Depression, Seattle voters rejected the plan.
In 1939, Seattle received a federal loan that allowed the city to retire the debts from the streetcar and cable car system. Management of system was turned over to an independent commission and renamed the Seattle Transit System (STS). The commission immediately began construction on overhead wire and ordered 235 new trolleybuses, the first of which started arriving in March 1940. The first trolleybus went into revenue service April 28, 1940, on Route 13 which ran along 19th Avenue in Capitol Hill (which is still served by trolleybuses today on Route 12). The system expanded again during World War II, when the Office of Defense Transportation gave Seattle more trolleybuses to meet increased wartime transportation demands, bringing the fleet to 307 coaches. Ridership reached an all-time high 130 million riders in 1944. After the war, ridership on the trolleybus system declined as many American families began purchasing automobiles.
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