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Waterfront Streetcar Line continues service with buses

Despite construction disruptions, the George Benson Waterfront Streetcar Line is continuing to serve commuters and downtown neighborhoods with bus service over the next few years.

Last Saturday, King County Metro Transit launched free bus service on the Waterfront Streetcar Line between the Chinatown-International District and Seattle waterfront. Route 99 now features buses decorated with vinyl wraps to look like the vintage streetcars, which have been temporarily placed in storage. The 70-year-old Australian streetcars have served the streetcar line since 1982.

The line has been popular with commuters, Seattle Art Institute students, downtown workers, ferry riders, and tourists because of the historic railcars and because Route 99 links the waterfront to both Pioneer Square and the Chinatown-International District. The buses will operate with the same daily frequency as the streetcars.

The route has been altered slightly. It now travels from Alaskan Way and Clay Street on the downtown Seattle waterfront to 8th Avenue South and South King Street in the Chinatown/International District. The new bus service follows the streetcar tracks along the waterfront, but then diverts to Jackson Street instead of Main Street. There is a new bus stop for Route 99 at Jackson Street and Occidental Avenue for passengers traveling to Pioneer Square or the sports stadiums.

Replacing the streetcars with buses clears the way for construction of the Seattle Art Museum’s Sculpture Park where the streetcar maintenance facility was located. Metro is partnering with a local developer to create a mixed-use housing and retail complex that will include a new streetcar maintenance facility near Occidental Park between South Washington and South Main streets in Pioneer Square. Until that project is complete, Metro will use the buses to operate Route 99. Metro hopes the vintage streetcars will be back on their tracks by mid-2007.

“While Metro and loyal streetcar fans will miss the popular Seattle icon, the temporary bus service will offer the same frequency and cover a slightly larger area,” Metro General Manager Kevin Desmond said. “And, because Route 99 will be served by regular coaches operating in the downtown ride-free area, there will be no charge for the trip. The Route 99 buses are wrapped to look like the vintage streetcars, so they’ll be easy to spot for passengers who travel the route on a regular basis.”
 

Updated:  November 21, 2005

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