Introduction

Let me start by saying that I am, almost completely, opposed to the kind of streetcars Seattle is implementing. The system is essentially putting buses on rails, reducing the ability to adjust routes as demand changes, without adding the benefit of segregating streetcar traffic from other vehicular traffic.  While streetcars might get signal priority, they will not enjoy a dedicated right-of-way, and thus can get stuck in traffic just as buses can.  I don’t believe that the streetcar’s benefits justify the cost. I am not just speaking of the proposed extension, but also of the existing project.

With that said, it seems this train is leaving the station. I’ve outlined my opposition to the proposed extension in the first section below. In the second section I have offered feedback on the proposed alignment and terminus of the extension should the project proceed.

My feedback is informed by the fact that I am a homeowner on the 700 Block of 10th Ave E, and I formerly lived on the 400 Block of 12th Ave E, I’ve also lived on Boylston Avenue near E Roy St. and thus have spent a considerable amount of time in the past 7 years in and around the area that will be affected by the proposed streetcar extension.

The feedback that follows is based on the available written materials at SeattleStreetcar.org and the single open-house event held in December 2012.

Opposed to the Extension

There are many problems with the extension of the Broadway Streetcar line North past the currently planned Denny/Transit Station terminus.  The 6 blocks between Denny and Roy are dense commercial blocks that benefit from foot traffic. A streetcar terminating north of the commercial strip will allow more people to bypass the strip and thus skip the businesses.

Proponents have suggested that the streetcar will bring more customers to these businesses, however, I do not believe it is likely that someone on First Hill, or the ID would decide to shop at a small retailer, or visit a restaurant on Broadway solely because there is street car access.  They already have two bus routes that can bring them to the area. 

None of the proposed streetcar options feature any northbound streetcar stops between the current Denny terminus and Roy. So the streetcar would actually only allow riders to completely bypass four blocks of retail they might otherwise pass walking northbound to a destination north of Roy Street, or any destination north of the current streetcar terminus at Denny.

The walk from the current terminus at Denny to Roy Street is a mere half mile which can be walked in 7 to 12 minutes meaning that any able bodied person could probably walk to Roy street in only a few minutes more than staying on the Street Car. A disabled traveler could transfer to the 49, 9X or 60 buses at Denny. The half mile stretch between Denny and Roy is already host to three bus stops in each direction, and the neighborhood is also host to two bus line terminuses (60 and 9X). The 9X and 60 buses currently serve nearly the same route as the Broadway/First Hill streetcar will.

Block the Arterial:  Broadway is currently the primary surface arterial from Wallingford and the University district (via the University Bridge, Harvard & 10h Ave) to Capitol Hill and First Hill.  Extending the Streetcar to any of the proposed terminuses will divert southbound traffic on Aloha and 12th Ave E. Twelfth Ave E currently has no traffic control or marked crosswalks between Aloha and John. Additional through-traffic on this secondary arterial without any increase in traffic control features will exacerbate an already dangerous situation for pedestrians and cyclists crossing 12th Ave E. Extension of the streetcar should not be approved without a comprehensive traffic study and accompanying traffic calming and control proposal for 12th Ave E.

Elimination of the central turning lane: Streetcar extension alignment proposals that eliminate the central turn lane on Broadway will not only result in traffic flow problems caused either by left-turning vehicles, or those who would have turned left but now must circle the block making right turns, it will also eliminate space for delivery vehicles making deliveries to the smaller retailers that do not currently have access to garages or loading docks.

Observation of Broadway between Roy and John on most days reveals dozens of vehicles making deliveries from the central turn lane. If these vehicles have to make their deliveries from the side streets instead, through-traffic on those streets -- none of which are wider than 2 lanes -- would be adversely impacted by increased traffic and idling commercial vehicles. Converting on street parking to commercial load zones would solve the loading problem but likely aggravate merchants and their customers alike by reducing on street parking options for shoppers.

Terminus Options

E Roy Street

Of all the proposed terminuses, the Roy Street Terminus probably makes the most sense. Passengers disembarking at Roy street would be a 2 block (<400 Ft) walk back to the Mercer Street bus stop on the 49 line and an easy walk from business attractions like Poppy, Roy Street Coffee, The Harvard Exit. The Roy St Terminus is .7 miles from the Seattle Asian Art Museum

However, the Roy Street Terminus would likely add further confusion to motorists at an already confusing intersection. The 76 Gas Station has two curb-cut entrances on that 1 block of Roy Street, the 700 Broadway Building has a parking garage curb cut on the other side of the street, there is a stop sign regulated intersection with the non-arterial 10th Ave E, and a traffic light at the 3 way Broadway/Roy Intersection. Observation of the traffic at this intersection during morning or evening rush will reveal backups caused by vehicles turning in/out of the 76 Gas Station and the 700 Broadway building, complicating traffic backups from the Broadway/Roy signal.  Traffic flow is already imperfect and near dangerous at the north and westbound intersection of non-arterial E Roy Street and 10th Ave (to the east of the gas station) as well as the northbound intersection of 10th ave E (the non-arterial) and 10th Ave E (the arterial).

E Aloha Street

The E Aloha Street Terminus is the most preposterous of all three. It would leave streetcar passengers .2 miles from the 49 Bus stop at Mercer Street and a long block short of the next 49 Bus stop at Prospect (I think it is worth noting that the Mercer Street bus stop is probably a better stop for passengers to wait at during late night hours as the Prospect stop is on a darker block that has less foot traffic and is in front of a residential property).  The terminus would also be .3 miles from the 12th Ave E and E Prospect Entrance to Volunteer Park, and a half mile, mostly uphill, to the Seattle Asian Art Museum. Anyone who could walk those distances and terrain could walk from Roy Street (or really from Denny). Anyone unable to walk from Roy is probably not able to walk the distance from Aloha and, if traveling from First Hill, or the ID, would more likely transfer to the number 10 Bus at Pike which would drop them on 15th much closer to the Museum.

The block between Roy and Aloha is 100% residential, unlike every other block of the current streetcar route and the proposed extended route.  A terminus on a residential block would adversely impact residents who would suffer a vehicle passing twice (one northbound, and one southbound trip) every 15 minutes from 7AM to 1AM. That is 142 street car passings per day in addition to the north and southbound 49 bus and south bound 9X bus. Residents in the immediate proximity of the track merge would have to contend with steel on steel noise that is louder at merging tracks, plus the noise of the vehicles’ pantographs on the overhead wires, and increased traffic congestion and the resultant air and noise pollution caused by signal adjustments at the Aloha/10th Ave E intersection to accommodate the streetcar merge.

The merging tracks necessary for the streetcar terminus north of Aloha Street would merge in the intersection of 10th Ave E and E Aloha Street. Both 10th Ave E and E Aloha are bicycle routes. At that intersection, neither has a marked dedicated bike lane, rather both employ sharrows. Cyclists riding northbound on 10th Ave (the designated route between Capitol Hill and the University District) would have to contend with the merging tracks, which they would have to cross to continue their northbound route.  Cyclists turning onto or off of Aloha would also have to cross the merging streetcar tracks. The hazard to cyclists of tracks is well documented and many riders have been injured in our own city on the Westlake tracks for the South Lake Union Streetcar.

While diversion of through-traffic to 12th Ave E has its own problems, as discussed above, if the the E Aloha terminus (or the E Prospect terminus) is selected, southbound vehicles will not be able to divert to 12th Ave before they encounter streetcar related traffic on 10th Ave E. If traffic diverts sooner, it would have to divert at Roanoke and take Boylston to Lakeview to Belmont. Belmont is marked as a non-arterial though in practice it is used as one, and is ill equipped to handle additional traffic.

Southbound 10th Ave traffic making left-turns onto Aloha will have to contend with the streetcar, and westbound traffic on Aloha making left or right turns on 10th Ave E will also have to contend with the streetcar. While the traffic signals can be adjusted, backups will likely occur in all directions. Traffic backups on the blocks of 10th Ave E and Aloha proximate to the intersection will have an adverse impact on air quality and noise for all residential properties.

E Prospect Street

The E Prospect Street Terminus option has many of the same drawbacks as the E Aloha Terminus: 142 vehicle passings on two 100% residential blocks, dropping passengers even further from the retail strip, and still nearly a half mile from the Seattle Asian Art Museum

from the Seattle Asian Art Museum. One benefit of this terminus is that it is closer to the number 49 Bus stop at E Prospect. It is also closer to Gage Academy and St. Marks Episcopal Cathedral.  However, these destinations are already served by the Number 49 Bus and are still a long block from the terminus.

There is one alternative terminus that is, surprisingly, not presented: Mercer Street.

E Mercer Street (the 600 Block of Broadway E)

The most sensible terminus for the Broadway extension of the streetcar is the block between E Mercer Street and E Roy Street.  This is the last block of the commercial/retail strip.  There is no residential property at all on the 600 block of Broadway. The block is full-width and has no curb cuts or driveways.  This block also has the northbound Number 49 Bus stop.

Passengers traveling northbound on the streetcar could disembark at the terminus and easily transfer to the northbound 49 bus.  Shortening the route by that single block would take the 76 Gas Station, the Broadway/Roy traffic light, the 700 Broadway building driveway out of the picture. It would allow for the 10th Ave E southbound bike lane alignment (Option 3,) as absurd as it is, without having cyclists cross streetcar tracks. A Mercer terminus would allow the Option 1 and 2 two-way cycletrack to continue past the terminus thus taking the tracks out of play for cyclists who would never have to cross them if they were riding through from points north to points south.

A Mercer terminus would also leave passengers closer to more commercial/retail establishments than any of the other options, none of which feature any northbound stop proposals between Denny and Roy. This terminus would be .7 miles from the Seattle Asian Art Museum.