Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In
Light Rail

Streetfilms: Take a Ride on the Seattle Streetcar

Seattle's South Lake Union Streetcar is a 1.3-mile line that opened in December 2007, the first leg in the city's commitment to new transit and light rail. It passed the half million passenger milestone in its first year, surpassing ridership projections.

The streetcar features many top-of-the-line tech amenities, including real time arrival message boards, solar-powered ticket vending machines, and human-activated doors to save energy while the train is in layover mode. If you go to the Seattle Streetcar web site, you can find out the next arrival time and actually watch the streetcars moving via GPS trackers.

As you'll see in the film, development is booming along the South Lake Union corridor. "If you build it, they will come" certainly seems to apply here.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

Delivery App Regulation Should Learn from Commercial Carting Reform

Third party delivery apps say they have no ability to police the very system they created — while the city's patchwork regulation isn't addressing the root of the problem.

November 17, 2025

Monday’s Headlines: Permanent Paseo Edition

We journeyed to Jackson Heights to celebrate a milestone in the life of the 34th Avenue open street. Plus other news.

November 17, 2025

‘The Brake’ Podcast: Is a ‘Life After Cars’ Really Possible?

"This book is an invitation to imagine a better world in which people are put before cars," says co-author Sarah Goodyear.

November 17, 2025

World Day of Remembrance: ‘My Brother Did Not Die in Vain’

A drunk driver killed Kevin Cruickshank while he was biking in New York City. The movement for safer streets showed me that my brother did not die in vain.

November 16, 2025

World Day of Remembrance: The Fight to ‘Stop Super Speeders’ Has Gone National

The bills would require the worst of the worst drivers to at least adhere to the speed limit, which is not too much to ask.

November 16, 2025

Council Members Put Everything But Riders First at ‘Bus Oversight’ Hearing

The Council spent its last bus oversight hearing of its term asking the MTA and city to pull back on bus lane enforcement.

November 14, 2025
See all posts