Our sister blog Capitol Hill Seattle reports today that the Transportation Committee of the Seattle City Council (Rasmussen, Godden, Burgess & Licata) passed Resolution 31207 by a vote of 4-0 approving the route for the First Hill Streetcar line. The next step will be for the full City Council to vote on the Resolution on May 3.
The resolution also includes a plan to create an extension of the streetcar route to reach north Broadway. The Capitol Hill Community Council's Complete Streetcar Campaign has been advocating for that extension and pedestrian and bicycle improvements along the streetcar route. The group is planning a rally and party a day after the full Council vote Tuesday night at Sole Repair. CHS voted to endorse the campaign last week.
DOT planners expect to begin construction on the streetcar route in 2011 with a planned start ofservice in late 2013.
Publicola published comments from Fred Butler, the Sound Transit board capital committee chair, who noted that Sound Transit would have to approve the expenditure of funds to study an extension of the streetcar route north of Denny on Broadway. Mr. Butler opined in Publicola that this was no mere formality:
“We have an agreement with the city of Seattle for a certain scope of work and for a certain amount,” says Issaquah deputy council president Fred Butler, head of the Sound Transit board’s capital committee. “This is above and beyond that. … While it’s difficult to predict [what the board will do], given the revenue shortfall that we’re dealing with right now, I would say it’s unlikely … that you would see us looking to add a lot of scope” to the streetcar project.
