Capitol Hill pedestrians you might soon have to up your pace to beat the First Hill Streetcar in a footrace.
The Seattle Department of Transportation is planning a roster of changes in three sections of the 2.5-mile line to help boost the performance of the streetcar connecting Pioneer Square, the International District, First Hill, and Capitol Hill including the addition of a “southbound Business Access and Transit lane” to Broadway.
According to SDOT, the planned southbound lane changes would occur in the Marion to Pine section of the line and would create a new transit and turning lane while converting the center lane for southbound through traffic on Broadway. Additionally, SDOT is planning to add better signal priority for the streetcar along the same stretch. Planners also thinking better management of crosswalk access along the route will help and are planning to restrict “pedestrian crossing for right-turning cars” from Broadway.
The department said it also determined in studies last year that two other sections of the First Hill Streetcar route on Yesler and Jackson could benefit from tweaks to speed performance.
A ride from end to end on the First Hill Streetcar typically takes more than 20 minutes — add 15 minutes or more in the busiest traffic. Hobbling the line’s speed, the streetcar shares lanes with with vehicular traffic on a route that comes sometimes perilously close to cars parked on the street near the tracks. Most riders, fortunately, don’t need an end-to-end ride and can put the much faster light rail to use for that. SDOT’s plans could help shave a few minutes off for riders heading toward Capitol Hill Station from First Hill’s medical facilities or Seattle U.
SDOT plans to implement the changes this summer, according to the announcement.
Last week, CHS reported on “record transit” numbers around Seattle and the region boosted in part by expanded light rail and streetcar service. In December, CHS reported that the new line was averaging around 3,000 riders per day. The First Hill Streetcar began service in January 2016 after a lengthy delay over issues with testing the trolleys. You can check out the line’s stops here.
The 10 stations of the First Hill Streetcar