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Intermediate Capacity Transit Study
Stage 2
For Stage 2 of the Seattle Transit Study, specific routes were selected along each corridor (Lake City/Northgate/Ballard/Downtown and West Seattle/Downtown) and consultants are developing technical information including:
- Conceptual engineering and operational designs
- Refined ridership forecasts
- Refined capital and operating costs, including right-of-way and maintenance base costs
- Environmental impact identification along study routes
We will also study the operational impact ICT would have on the transportation network including:
- Traffic modeling to identify shifts in traffic patterns
- Detailed traffic analysis at key intersections
- Analysis of operational impacts for trans
Stage 2 Recommendations
ICT Final Report, 2001
Seattle Transit Study Summary Report, Fall 2000
Route and Technology Recommendations
Intermediate Capacity Transit - Recommended Routes
Policy Recommendations
Areas to be Addressed During ICT Development
Next Steps - Intermediate Capacity Transit Implementation
Route and Technology Recommendations
Based on our technical findings, comments from neighborhoods and businesses, knowledge of major transportation projects within the City, and work with our STI partner agencies, we have developed a set of recommendations.
West Seattle Corridor
ICT improvements should be made between Downtown and West Seattle Junction or Morgan Junction.
- Extending the system to Westwood does not appreciably increase system ridership.
- Extending the system from West Seattle Junction to Westwood would increase capital costs over 50.
- Neighborhood impacts appear to be highest along the routes between Morgan Junction and Westwood.
Going between West Seattle and Downtown, no one technology appears more feasible than another.
- Elevated attracts slightly more ridership than the other modes and has a higher capital cost.
- When the Streetcar stop spacing is increased from 1/4 mile to 1 mile, Streetcar starts to show similar ridership and speed as Elevated.
- The Bus Rapid Transit alternative, with 1/4 stop spacing, shows similar levels of new riders attracted to the system, and has a very low cost.
Further analysis should be done across a wide range of technology alternatives as there may be opportunities to incorporate improvements into other major transportation projects planned for the South Downtown area, such as the Alaskan Way Viaduct.
Multi-modal neighborhood transportation centers should be provided at potential stations near West Seattle Junction and Delridge Ave SW at the West Seattle Bridge to improve integration of ICT with other transit service and with other transportation modes.
North Seattle Corridor
ICT improvements should be made to connect Downtown, Ballard and Northgate with a dedicated ICT structure crossing the Ship Canal.
- As a regional urban center and regional transit hub Northgate is an important destination for ICT service.
- Extending to Northgate makes the most of the investment of building a new structure over the Ship Canal.
In this corridor Elevated appears to be the most effective technology based on our analysis to date.
- Elevated attracts a significant number of new riders and provides the greatest travel time advantage for existing riders.
Multi-modal neighborhood transportation centers should be provided in Ballard and Northgate to improve integration of ICT with other transit service and with other transportation modes.
Intermediate Capacity Transit - Recommended Routes
 Click on the thumbnail for a larger view of the ICT Recommended Routes.
Most of these files are in PDF format. PDF files can be viewed using Adobe Acrobat Reader software. Download the free Acrobat Reader from the Adobe website.
Policy Recommendations
The 5 intermediate capacity transit corridors identified in Stage 1 of the Seattle Transit Study and the two regional high-capacity transit corridors are the backbones of a system of transit improvements for the City of Seattle. Improvements along these corridors could take 20-30 years or more. These corridors should be integrated into existing City of Seattle plans and programs so they may be considered as part of any future work.
- Work with City Council in 2002 to amend the Comprehensive Plan to identify the 5 Seattle Transit Study corridors and two Sound Transit corridors as City's long-range, high-capacity transit vision and identify key supporting policies for this vision.
- Look for opportunities as we re-examine other major transportation projects (Viaduct, SR 519, Spokane Street Viaduct, etc.) to help fulfill this long-range vision or to make other transit improvements.
Areas to be Addressed During ICT Development
There are several areas which need to be addressed in more detail as any proposal for implementation of an ICT line is developed. Several of these areas are key issues which were brought up in our work with the public including community and business leaders for the neighborhoods served within the two corridors. Other areas are of critical importance to the City in future phases of development.
Key Stakeholder Issue Areas
- parking
- On-street parking impacts
- "hide-and-ride" impacts
- the applicability of park-and-ride capacity at transit stations
- impacts to freight mobility
- impacts to bicyclists and pedestrians
- attractiveness of service and the potential benefits to current transit riders
- integration of neighborhood feeder transit service and other transportation modes into ICT system
Key City Issue Areas
- Capital Financing and Operations Funding
- Impacts to City Services; including, but, not limited to utilities, transportation, public safety
- Land-use impacts
- Impacts to local businesses
Next Steps - Intermediate Capacity Transit Implementation
Building on the results of this feasibility study, staff will be working on the following actions to fulfill the vision of an integrated transit system in Seattle.
- Work with ETC Council and staff to develop viable Seattle Popular Transit Plan.
- Work with King County Metro and neighborhoods along our next corridor, from Ballard to the U-District, to develop an interim transit corridor improvement project.
- Look at potential for developing neighborhood transportation centers at four key future ICT stations.
Stage 2 Supporting Documents
Most of these files are in PDF format. PDF files can be viewed using Adobe Acrobat Reader software. Download the free Acrobat Reader from the Adobe website.
Project Overview
Potential Routes
Click below for color maps of the route options we are studying for the West Seattle-Downtown Corridor and Lake City-Northgate-Ballard-Downtown Corridor.
Lake City - Downtown Primary Elevated Transit Route
Lake City - Downtown Secondary Elevated Transit Route
Lake City - Downtown Primary Streetcar Route
Lake City - Downtown Secondary Streetcar Route
Lake City - Downtown Primary Bus Rapid Transit Route
Lake City - Downtown Secondary Bus Rapid Transit Route
West Seattle - Downtown Elevated Transit Route
West Seattle - Downtown Streetcar Route
West Seattle - Downtown Bus Rapid Transit Route
Summary Comparison of Routes/Technologies
Summary Comparison of Routes/Technologies
Cost Effectiveness Measures
Cost Effectiveness Measures
Travel Times and Passenger Volumes
Cross Sections
Cost and Ridership
Station Concepts
Visual Simulations
What would these technologies look like in your neighborhod?
Open House Comments
Click here to view a summary of the June Open Houses and a compilation of comments regarding the information that was presented.
Stakeholder Comments
In April and July, leaders of community businesses and neighborhood organizations met to give comments about the study.
Click here for April comments.
Click here for July comments.
Give us your comments! Click here for a comment form that you can print and send or fax back to us. We look forward to your thoughts.
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