The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) and King County Metro (Metro) announced today the start of the construction phase of the Westlake Transit Improvement project, as we previously covered.
Beginning on January 4, 2016 through March 26, 2016, service on the South Lake Union Streetcar will be severely curtailed in order to allow for new station platform construction and relocation.
From January 4th thru the 17th, SDOT will be upgrading the transit stops along Westlake Ave at Mercer and Harrison Streets. Expect short-term sidewalk and lane closures.
During this time, the South Lake Union Streetcar will not operate on Monday-Thursday between 9:00 AM and 3:00 PM, on Fridays after 9:00 AM, or at all on Saturdays and Sundays.
In addition, SDOT states that the new transit lanes on Westlake Avenue as well as traffic and parking restrictions may go into effect as early as February 2016 when Metro begins testing new routes and training their drivers.
South Lake Union Streetcar Operating Schedule
| JAN 04 - MAR 26, 2016 | 6AM - 9AM | 9AM - 3PM | 3PM - 1AM |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday - Thursday | normal service | CLOSED | normal service |
| Friday | normal service | CLOSED | CLOSED |
| Saturday & Sunday | CLOSED | CLOSED | CLOSED |
Metro advises affected riders to use the Route 70 or Route 40 buses in the interim. And as for all large-scale projects, the schedule is subject to change.
For more information, please visit SDOT’s project page.
Gordon Werner
Gordon is a native New Yorker who wisely chose to leave the Northeast in the early 1990s. A past resident of Belltown, and Queen Anne, he currently calls First Hill home. He is a board member of the First Hill Improvement Association (FHIA) as well as the FHIA Transportation Committee Chair and is constantly looking for ways to improve transportation up the hill.