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OK, now we know how many people are riding the First Hill Streetcar

(Image: SDOT)

(Image: SDOT)

Screen Shot 2016-05-19 at 11.18.38 AMThere are still no ridership goals for the First Hill Streetcar route but we now have our first full accounting of the 2.5-mile line connecting Pioneer Square, the International District, First Hill, and Capitol Hill.

Last Thursday, the Capitol Hill Chamber of Commerce and its performer friends celebrated a day of free rides on the streetcar (Image: Capitol Hill Chamber of Commerce)

Last Thursday, the Capitol Hill Chamber of Commerce and its performer friends celebrated a day of free rides on the streetcar (Image: Capitol Hill Chamber of Commerce)

So far in May, around 3,100 people ride the streetcar every weekday. The numbers are boosted by the “Free Ride Thursdays” promotion responsible, so far, for the two busiest days in the dataset just released by SDOT.  The promotion continues through the end of the month.

Even without the free days in the count, the First Hill Streetcar’s trend appears to be on an upward climb from its start of service in January with free rides and little fanfare. For comparison, the opening of Capitol Hill Station and the U-Link line has boosted light rail weekday ridership into the high 50,000s.

The Seattle Transit Blog took a look at the numbers and pointed out that Sunday numbers are suppressed by the line’s reduced service hours, May 1st’s service was disrupted by a planned shutdown, and that the ridership totals seem to indicate a “seemingly high rate of non-ORCA use (both via fare evasion and paper ticket purchasing).”

A plan for a half-mile northern extension of the First Hill Streetcar and the accompanying Broadway bikeway designed to keep bikes off the line’s dangerous tracks remains in the works.

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Whichever
Whichever
7 years ago

It’s unfortunate that they have to figure in fare evasion enough to the point to make sure they mention it.

Truth
Truth
7 years ago
Reply to  Whichever

It’s no different than department stores that figure shrinkage into their bottom lines. And like department stores, there’s a certain amount of loss that can be tolerated before it becomes worthwhile to hire someone to prevent it.

Zach L
Zach L
7 years ago
Reply to  Whichever

no different than link too… they assume a 4% (iirc) evasion rate.

Jonathan Ursin
Jonathan Ursin
7 years ago

I tried searching google to see how this compares to other bus routes in Seattle. All I could find is the article linked at the end of this comment, it shows the top routes in 2010. The 49 as numero uno with ~13,800 daily riders and the 545 as the 18th busiest route at ~5800 daily riders.

So daily ridership of this streetcar is around about 2700. less than half the 545. What a waste of money. Thanks Mike McGinn :(

Facts are our Friends!
Facts are our Friends!
7 years ago
Reply to  Jonathan Ursin

McGinn had very little to do with this. The voters approved it as part of the U-Link extension.

Zach L
Zach L
7 years ago
Reply to  Jonathan Ursin

holy not comparing of likes batman. why would you compare a inter-city express bus with a local streetcar? o_O

Jonathan Ursin
Jonathan Ursin
7 years ago

Check it out: There are (were?) target goals for the streetcar. Before it was built, SDOT (under the McGinn administration) believed ridership would be around 6000/day. Half way there!

http://www.capitolhillseattle.com/2011/10/mayor-says-first-hill-streetcar-means-seattle-jobs-construction-starts-in-january/

Jonathan Ursin
Jonathan Ursin
7 years ago

Forgot to post this in my earlier comment. Too much box wine! http://seattletransitblog.com/2010/01/22/king-county-ridership-spring-2009/

le.gai.savnat
le.gai.savnat
7 years ago

On the plus side, some people are riding the streetcar, though less than ride buses. On the negative side, impact on other transportation – Broadway is slower for buses and cars.

We could easily have gotten a bunch of high quality trackless trolleys, run them on the same line but without rails, and saved millions of dollars. Even better, trackless trolleys (that is, buses powered by overhead wires) wouldn’t be stuck if there’s even a small obstruction on the track. Please, no more of these! We could use the money for: public safety, supporting the arts, fixing streets.

Facts are our Friends!
Facts are our Friends!
7 years ago
Reply to  le.gai.savnat

That’s not how it works. The line was approved by the citizens as part of the U-Link extension.
Public Safety comes out of the General fund, The arts are abundantly supported by the 1% for arts program, and the streets are funded by a combination of the general fund and the voter approved “Move Seattle” initiative.

Jim98122x
Jim98122x
7 years ago
Reply to  le.gai.savnat

Two or 3 months after startup is hardly a reasonable timeframe to pronounce a new transportation option a failure.

We’re not even into the 1st big tourism season after this streetcar’s opening. You can pretend otherwise all you want, but many tourists and city visitors will ride a streetcar that wouldn’t even consider riding a bus. To many people buses are scary but streetcars and rail, just aren’t.

clew
clew
7 years ago
Reply to  le.gai.savnat

Jim98122x, why should we pay for really expensive, traffic-fragile, bike-threatening, systems to let people who *don’t even live here* travel without learning anything? We used to be a place the nervous came and took buses and discovered that buses, even with all those fellow citizens on them, could be OK.

Jim98122x
Jim98122x
7 years ago
Reply to  le.gai.savnat

because the same thing applies to people who live here, too.