Seattle’s next streetcar appears to be coming as fast as it moves

The First Hill streetcar may be delayed, but the City of Seattle believes it will be worth the wait.

Like its South Lake Union counterpart, the First Hill addition will support development, according to Ethan Melone, the rail transit manager for the Seattle Department of Transportation.

“This First Hill line will help neighborhoods thrive,” he told KIRO Radio.

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The rails are in place, but the cars have yet to begin their daily runs. They were supposed to be moving by 2014; then 2015. Now the transportation department is refusing to provide a new estimated start date.

And the reasons for the delay are a little unnerving. The latest problems include the manufacturer failing to make critical equipment, such as the inverters, waterproof. In a place like the Pacific Northwest, that is something that should be done without question, KIRO Radio’s Dave Ross pointed out.

So it begs the question: is it a good idea?

Though there is disappointment that the project is delayed again, Melone says it will be worth the wait. The car will connect Pioneer Square and International District with Capitol Hill, without having to make any transfers. There will be frequent service throughout the day, with the cars arriving about every 10 minutes during peak periods, according to Melone. It’s a route that is not served by a current metro route.

Exactly how convenient the service will be is anyone’s guess. The average speed of the cars is 7 MPH. It will take about 19 minutes to travel from one end of the line to the other. Melone predicts people will make shorter trips than that, getting off before the end.

The department of transportation may be unwilling to give a start date, but Melone says four of the six vehicles have completed “acceptance” testing. All that’s left is testing reliability. Let’s just hope the cars can withstand Washington’s wet winters.