King County celebrated the 20th anniversary of Metro Transit's historic Waterfront Streetcar with a special moment Saturday. During ceremonies in Pioneer Square, King County Executive Ron Sims surprised former Seattle City Councilmember George Benson by officially designating the streetcar line as the "George Benson Waterfront Streetcar Line."

"Not only are we celebrating the anniversary of this popular route, but we are also celebrating the vision of a great community leader," said Sims. "Twenty years ago, some thought George’s idea to run a historic streetcar line on the streets of Seattle was crazy. Today, we thank him for a streetcar line that provides both convenient transportation and a moving history lesson."

As a Seattle City Councilmember from 1974 to 1993, and a member of the old Metro Council, Benson took the lead on ensuring countywide bus service, construction of the Downtown Seattle Bus Tunnel, and preservation of the Monorail. He initiated Sunday bus service connecting Seattle’s major parks, Pioneer Square and the Ballard Locks. He negotiated the agreement with the Urban Mass Transit Administration to rebuild and expand Metro's electric trolley system in Seattle. In recognition of his legacy, he was inducted in 1997 into the Hall of Fame of the American Public Transit Association.

But of all his projects, Benson is most closely associated with Metro's Waterfront Streetcar. It began with his dream to reinstate the historic streetcar line. With single-minded dedication, Benson tracked down authentic W2 Class streetcars in Melbourne, Australia and bought them for $5,000 each. He recruited hundreds of volunteers to restore and transport them across the Pacific Ocean. When obstacles were encountered, Benson kept everyone on track, and never let the project be derailed.

"We are here to celebrate George Benson’s ‘waterfront people mover,’ said current City Councilmember Margaret Pageler. "While our council today seems to dither with transportation issues, President Benson’s council got the job done."

Service on the Waterfront Streetcar began along the 1.6-mile line on May 29, 1982. It was so successful in its first years that Metro expanded the line in 1990 to serve the International District. It now connects the International District with Pioneer Square, the Alaskan Way waterfront, and Myrtle Edwards Park.

The Waterfront Streetcar – with its Tasmanian mahogany and white ash woodwork – truly captures the elegance of travel in a bygone era, and that is the essence of what this 20th Anniversary Celebration is all about – giving people a taste of history.