South Lake Union Streetcar

"SLUT" redirects here. For "Slut", see Slut (disambiguation)."Infobox rail line
name = South Lake Union Streetcar

---

image_width = 200px
caption = South Lake Union Streetcar before inauguration at the maintenance facility
type = Streetcar
system =
status = Active
start = South Lake Union, Seattle, Washington
end = Westlake Center, Downtown Seattle
stations = 11
open = December 12, 2007
close =
owner = City of Seattle
operator = King County Metro (Route #98)
character = At grade, in mixed traffic
stock =
linelength = convert|1.3|mi|km|adj=on
tracklength =
notrack =
gauge = Standard gauge (1,435 mm)
el = Overhead lines
speed =
elevation = |{| Railway line headerThe South Lake Union Streetcar, or South Lake Union Trolley is a convert|1.3|mi|km|adj=on streetcar line connecting the South Lake Union neighborhood to Downtown Seattle, United States. Service began on December 12, 2007.

History

The line was originally envisioned by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen to help improve the South Lake Union neighborhood that his venture capital company, Vulcan Inc., is heavily invested in. [cite news |url=http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/74602_vulcan14.shtml | title=Allen envisions streetcars serving South Lake Union | publisher=Seattle Post-Intelligencer | author=Todd Bishop | date=2002-06-14 | accessdate=2007-03-03] Allen's main supporter from the beginning was Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels, but he was not universally supported by the Seattle City Council, which was concerned about the lack of public support for the line and questioned if it should be moved ahead of Seattle's other transportation needs. [cite news | url=http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/transportation/105841_streetcar25.shtml | title=Lake Union streetcar plan has council skeptics | publisher=Seattle Post-Intelligencer | author=Neil Modie | date=2003-01-25 | accessdate=2007-03-05]

After heavy lobbying by South Lake Union businesses, including Vulcan, the Seattle City Council approved the development of the neighborhood into a biotechnology and bio-medical research center. Included in that plan was funding to investigate a convert|2.6|mi|km|adj=on, US$45 million streetcar line. The line was approved in 2005 at a cost of $50.5 million, with $25 million paid by property owners along the streetcar's route and the remainder paid by federal, state, and local funds. [cite news | url=http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/transportation/243439_streetcar05.html | title=South Lake Union streetcar cost shocks neighbors | publisher=Seattle Post-Intelligencer | author=Kathy Mulady | date=2005-10-05 | accessdate=2007-03-03] .

Construction on the line began in summer 2006, and service began on December 12, 2007. Trolleys run every fifteen minutes. The line uses 3 Inekon 12 Trio 3-segment articulated streetcars, one red, one purple, and another orange.

Local residents claim that during construction it was originally known as the "South Lake Union Trolley", which abbreviates to S.L.U.T. While there is no evidence that this name was ever used as an official name, the acronym's popularity has caused it to become an unofficial one.cite web
url = http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/332081_slut18.html
title = SLUT -- Streetcar's unfortunate acronym seems here to stay
publisher = Seattle Post-Intelligencer
author= Kery Murakami
date = 2007-09-18
accessdate = 2007-09-19] During its inaugural period, December 12, 2007 to December 31, the streetcar was free to ride. The fare was then increased to US$1.50. When the streetcar was free to ride ridership was 78,325, but once a fare was charged, ridership dropped to 12,369 for the first half of January. According to Seattle's Department of Transportation this drop in ridership was expected and the streetcar is meeting the city's predicted ridership of 950 per day, which is only 7.5% of the system's capacity of around 12,600 per day. [cite news | url=http://www.seattleweekly.com/2008-01-23/news/won-t-you-ride-the-s-l-u-t.php | title=Won't You Ride the S.L.U.T? | publisher=Seattle Weekly | author=Aimee Curl | date=2008-01-23 | accessdate=2008-01-25]

The streetcar has been involved in multiple minor collisions with motor vehicles and experienced several service stoppages. [cite news
url=http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004082238_webstreetcar19m.html | title=Streetcar hits SUV that ran red light | publisher=The Seattle Times Company | author=Seattle Times Staff | date=2007-12-19 | accessdate=2008-04-02] [cite news
url=http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004323202_webstreetcar02m.html?syndication=rss | title=South Lake Union accident takes red streetcar out of service | publisher=The Seattle Times Company | author=Seattle Times Staff | date=2008-04-02 | accessdate=2008-04-02]

The city is considering if the streetcar line would be the first of other streetcar lines that will serve the core Seattle area. [cite news
url=http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/transportation/342783_carwhere08.html
title=How many streetcars do we desire?
first=Larry
last=Lange
work=Seattle Post-Intelligencer
date=December 7 2007
accessdate=2008-01-10] Among the proposals are to extend the South Lake Union Streetcar to the University of Washington and connect it to the currently mothballed Waterfront Streetcar. [ [http://www.cityofseattle.net/transportation/stcar_eastlake.htm SDOT: Seattle's Streetcar Network ] ]

References

ee also

List of town tramway systems in North America

External links

* [http://www.seattlestreetcar.org/ Seattle Streetcar, official site]
* [http://www.buildthestreetcar.org/ Build the Streetcar]
* [http://www.seattlestreetcaralliance.org/ Seattle Streetcar Alliance]
* [http://www.inekon-systems.com/showdoc.do?docid=284 Inekon Trio, official site]