Forney in front of the almost ready to open Capitol Hill Station (Images: CHS)

Who is ready to wave goodbye to 2015? On Friday’s chilly night, hands were busy linking pinkies and letting their fingers do the walking at a sidewalk party to celebrate the installation of local artist Ellen Forney’s giant murals at Capitol Hill Station — easily one of the most exciting reasons for 2016 to hurry up and get here.

When the station opens for service in March 2016, Forney’s Walking Fingers and Crossed Pinkies porcelain enamel on steel panels will greet thousands of riders descending and ascending the escalators at John and Broadway about where Twice Sold Tales used to stand. Meanwhile, down the escalator, the massive, hot pink Jet Kiss sculpture featuring the deconstructed hulls of two A-4 fighters hangs above the Broadway light rail station’s underground platform.

March of 2016 will be an amazing month for Seattle public transit. State officials are planning a grand opening event for the 520 bridge replacement project that will include a fun run across Seattle streets and WSDOT’s new floating bridge. But the ultimate highlight will be the opening of Capitol Hill Station. The $110 million Capitol Hill Station facility stretches from John to Denny below two acres of Broadway just northwest of Cal Anderson Park. When service begins, Broadway riders will descend around 65 feet via escalators or elevators to reach the Capitol Hill Station platform. In addition to the main entrance near Broadway and John, the station will also be accessed by a Seattle Central-friendly entrance near Denny on the west side of Broadway and a third entrance on the south end of the site. The ride from downtown to UW via Broadway is expected to take about 8 minutes — 3 minutes from the Hill to the Montlake station adjacent Husky Stadium.

And, maybe by then, the streetcar will also be running on Broadway.