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City of Seattle
Gregory J. Nickels, Mayor
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NEWS ADVISORY
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| SUBJECT: Mayor Breaks Ground for South Lake Union Streetcar
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
7/7/2006 1:00:00 PM |
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Alex Fryer (206) 684-8358
Richard Sheridan (206) 684-8540
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Mayor Breaks Ground for South Lake Union Streetcar
Line will connect 330,000 riders a year to jobs, transit, parks
SEATTLE - Mayor Greg Nickels, joined by elected officials and community members,
kicked off construction of the South Lake Union Streetcar today and ceremonially
welded the first rail of a system that will serve thousands of new homes and
jobs being created in the area.
“We’re getting this train rolling,” said Mayor Nickels. “The
streetcar is an investment in the future of Seattle. When it opens next year,
it will connect thousands of people to the new jobs, homes, and parks coming
up in the South Lake Union neighborhood. It will also connect to other transit
and help us create great urban neighborhoods in the heart of our city.”
The streetcar will run 1.3 miles each way and is projected to carry about
330,000 riders annually. It will connect to buses and the Westlake light rail
station, where riders can travel to Sea-Tac International Airport, and, eventually,
Northgate and the Eastside.
The streetcar will feature modern, air-conditioned vehicles that can carry
up to 140 passengers. Readerboards will tell riders when the next streetcar
will arrive at their stop.
“The South Lake Union neighborhood is growing its reputation as a home
for world-class companies and workers, cutting edge research and many Seattle
residents,” said U.S. Sen. Patty Murray. “The streetcar is an important
investment in the future of this community, and I am proud that the federal
government is a strong partner in this project.”
South Lake Union is being transformed into an urban neighborhood where people
can live, work and play. In the next 15 years, the city expects more than 20,000
new jobs and 10,000 new housing units will be created in this area.
The South Lake Union Streetcar will cost $50.5 million. About half of the
project is being funded through a Local Improvement District made up of area
businesses. Federal, state, and local funds will pay for the rest.
“The state legislature recognizes that in order to maintain a high quality
of life we need to make necessary investments and build a first-rate transportation
system that can connect people to where they live and work,” said state
Rep. Ed Murray, Chair of the House Transportation Committee. “The South
Lake Union streetcar is an important first step in developing what I hope will
become a citywide streetcar network to link our local and regional transit
systems while improving access for everyone.”
King County Metro Transit will operate and maintain the streetcar system for
the city. Metropolitan King County Council Chair Larry Phillips called the
streetcar partnership another example of the city and county working together
to create a first class transportation system.
“The streetcar will provide a critical link for mobility between South
Lake Union, the downtown retail core, and the regional transit system at Westlake,” Phillips
said. “King County Metro is looking forward to operating the streetcar
to make this project a huge success for the people living and working in the
South Lake Union community.”
The South Lake Union streetcar is part of the Mayor’s South Lake Union
Action Agenda, which seeks to improve or build new area infrastructure for
new jobs and housing. Work on a new Lake Union waterfront park will begin this
year. Mayor Nickels is also seeking $30 million through his “Bridging
the Gap” transportation initiative to transform the Mercer Street corridor,
also known as the “Mercer Mess,” into a two-way boulevard.
Seattle will receive between $166 million and $333 million in new tax revenues
over the next 20 years due to South Lake Union development, according to an
economic analysis by Dr. Paul Sommers of the Institute of Public Service and
Albers School of Business at Seattle University.
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Office of the Mayor
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