Yesterday (Monday) the Department of Transportation announced a new narrowed list of possible streetcar routes based on latest studies. The routes along with estimated costs will be presented to the City Council today. Whether any of these lines will be built or not depends on financing. Officials said they would have to be reliant on public-private financing, and which line gets built may depend on which comes up with the money first.
In addition to lines from South Lake Union to Fremont and Ballard, Pioneer Square to First Hill and Capitol Hill, and University District from Westlake Center, they're also looking into a line on 1st ave. connecting the King Street Station area with downtown through Belltown, then extending to the Seattle Center.
The estimated cost of the 4 mile line running to the Seattle Center would be $180 million. Wowza.
One of the new streetcar routes will run right past my office! Yippie!
http://tinyurl.com/4yku5k