157-514: [REDACTED] The Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel ( DSTT ), also referred to as the Metro Bus Tunnel , is a 1.3-mile-long (2.1 km) pair of public transit tunnels in Seattle , Washington , United States. The double-track tunnel and its four stations serve Link light rail trains on the 1 Line as it travels through Downtown Seattle . It runs west under Pine Street from 9th Avenue to 3rd Avenue, and south under 3rd Avenue to South Jackson Street. 1 Line trains continue north from
314-581: A circular ring around a proposed civic center in the Denny Regrade neighborhood to King Street Station , paralleled to the west by a subway on 1st Avenue known as Route 17; stations on the line were to have additional entrances from department stores and other major businesses on 3rd Avenue. The plan was supported by City Engineer Reginald H. Thomson and the Municipal League among others, but opposed by businesses fearing it would shift
471-454: A guideway . This is an uncommon mode of transportation (excluding elevators ) due to the complexity of automation. A fully implemented system might provide most of the convenience of individual automobiles with the efficiency of public transit. The crucial innovation is that the automated vehicles carry just a few passengers, turn off the guideway to pick up passengers (permitting other PRT vehicles to continue at full speed), and drop them off to
628-528: A $ 25.9 million contract with Parsons Brinckerhoff for engineering work related to the project. In March 1986, the federal government offered Metro a contract committing $ 195 million in UMTA funding toward the bus tunnel, requiring that a decision on whether to move forward with the project be made by December 31. A month later, the King County Council asked Metro to consider delaying construction of
785-550: A ban on South African materials by Metro for its projects, which was adopted by a resolution of the Metro Council on September 17. Regular service in the bus tunnel began on September 15, 1990, on five routes serving the University District, North Seattle, and Renton. The limited service was the result of delays in the manufacturing of dual-mode buses from Breda, which were fully delivered in 1991. The opening
942-571: A block to the west, accessible through the Weller Street Bridge, as well as the First Hill Streetcar on Jackson Street, stopping east of 5th Avenue South. Other attractions near the station include Lumen Field to the west and Uwajimaya a block to the southeast. South of the station, the light rail tracks and bus lanes were formerly separated by railway signals at an underground bus layover and staging area next to
1099-543: A body of water. A foot-passenger ferry with many stops is sometimes called a water bus . Ferries form a part of the public transport systems of many waterside cities and islands, allowing direct transit between points at a capital cost much lower than bridges or tunnels, though at a lower speed. Ship connections of much larger distances (such as over long distances in water bodies like the Mediterranean Sea ) may also be called ferry services. A report published by
1256-497: A computer glitch disrupted the tunnel's new emergency-control system, which was repaired and replaced. The tunnel had remained closed on weekends after its reopening, but Saturday operation was reinstated and Sunday operation was introduced in May 2009. Simulated light rail testing in the tunnel also began on May 20, 2009, with two-car trains operating alongside in-service buses, making it the first joint bus and rail tunnel with stations in
1413-621: A cost of $ 133 million (equivalent to $ 370 million in 2023 dollars); it was approved by UMTA in November. Construction on the bus tunnel project began with partial closures of 3rd Avenue in July 1986 for utility relocation, narrowing traffic to one lane in either direction and restricting traffic to buses and emergency vehicles during rush hour. To prepare for extended periods of service disruption on 3rd Avenue, Metro Transit also moved its electric trolleybus routes onto 1st Avenue. Excavation of
1570-428: A cost of $ 387 million (equivalent to $ 1135 million in 2023 dollars) and a completion date of June 1989. The cost of the project drew criticism at public hearings for using a significant portion of Metro's capital budget, a total of $ 840 million from sales tax revenue approved by voters in 1980, as well as potential disruption to business during the cut-and-cover construction of the stations and Pine Street segment of
1727-420: A decline in public transport usage. A number of sources attribute this trend to the rise in popularity of remote work, ride-sharing services, and car loans being relatively cheap across many countries. Major cities such as Toronto, Paris, Chicago, and London have seen this decline and have attempted to intervene by cutting fares and encouraging new modes of transportation, such as e-scooters and e-bikes. Because of
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#17327806396991884-451: A downtown bus tunnel was first proposed in 1974 during discussions between Governor Dan Evans and Seattle Mayor Wes Uhlman about regional transportation projects in response to the proposed extension of Interstate 90 into Seattle via a third floating bridge crossing Lake Washington . Metro Transit later commissioned a study into the bus tunnel, released the following July, which determined that it would not be able to adequately meet
2041-552: A few stops per city. These services may also be international. High-speed rail is passenger trains operating significantly faster than conventional rail—typically defined as at least 200 kilometres per hour (120 mph). The most predominant systems have been built in Europe and East Asia, and compared with air travel, offer long-distance rail journeys as quick as air services, have lower prices to compete more effectively and use electricity instead of combustion. Urban rail transit
2198-410: A fleet of 200 dual-mode buses for the first decade of tunnel operations, with an eventual switch to subway trains. The bored tunnel would be able to carry 180 buses an hour in each direction, serving either a wide island platform or two smaller side platforms that would be dug out from the surface. In April, Metro published the draft environmental impact statement for the tunnel project, estimating
2355-600: A future extension to Capitol Hill, began in January 2005. The bus tunnel was closed on September 24, 2005, moving the tunnel's 21 routes and 140 buses per hour to surface streets. 3rd Avenue was converted to a "transit-priority corridor" during peak periods, restricting general traffic to one-block travel. The $ 82.7 million construction contract for the transit tunnel renovation was awarded to Balfour Beatty in August 2004, 12 percent below Sound Transit's estimates. The majority of
2512-469: A later date. The King County Council called for a new agreement to be negotiated with Sound Transit adding requirements for an adopted plan for light rail service to Northgate , and for a study into new riders that light rail would bring to the tunnel over a conventional bus network. In early 2002, Sound Transit also explored, and ultimately rejected, a proposal to build a parallel, rail-only tunnel under 5th Avenue that would cost $ 1 billion. Sound Transit and
2669-478: A minimum of 90-second headways , carrying 22,000 passengers per hour per direction , but is only able to carry 12,000 per hour per direction in 4-car light rail vehicles with current systems in place. Prior to the start of Link light rail service, the DSTT could serve up to 145 buses during the afternoon rush hour . As of 2012, the DSTT carried 52,600 daily riders, of which 10,000 are on light rail. The tunnel carries
2826-573: A minimum of six seconds of separation between each other. During joint bus–rail operations, two types of vehicles were used in the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel: Sound Transit's Kinkisharyo-Mitsui light rail vehicles and King County Metro's New Flyer diesel-electric hybrid buses . The New Flyer buses, dubbed "tunnel buses" by King County Metro, were ordered in 2004 to replace a fleet of Breda dual-mode electric trolleybuses whose overhead wire
2983-483: A new communications system connecting to a joint-operations center. The project ended up costing $ 94 million in total, 3.4 percent over the budget set in 2004. During the closure, Metro found that average travel time through downtown increased only 11 percent during the afternoon peak period, and ridership on popular routes only dropped slightly. The tunnel reopened to service on September 24, 2007, with tunnel routes modified to group common destinations together. Initially,
3140-676: A railway with freight trains . A rapid transit railway system (also called a metro, underground, heavy rail, or subway) operates in an urban area with high capacity and frequency, and grade separation from other traffic. Heavy rail is a high-capacity form of rail transit, with 4 to 10 units forming a train, and can be the most expensive form of transit to build. Modern heavy rail systems are mostly driverless, which allows for higher frequencies and less maintenance cost. Systems are able to transport large numbers of people quickly over short distances with little land use. Variations of rapid transit include people movers , small-scale light metro and
3297-710: A report in 1928 recommending a subway under 2nd Avenue from King Street Station to Pike Street as part of a longer rapid transit line serving the University District and Fremont. In the late 1950s, the Seattle Transit Commission proposed building a rapid transit system on the existing right-of-way used by Interstate 5 between Tacoma , Seattle and Everett, with a two-station subway under 5th Avenue in Downtown Seattle. The most significant rapid transit proposal came as part of
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#17327806396993454-464: A report recommending a rapid transit system for the city of Seattle, centered around a cut-and-cover subway tunnel under 3rd Avenue from Virginia Street to Yesler Way. The line was to connect to surface and elevated lines at Dexter Avenue, Olive Way and South Jackson Street, serving the neighborhoods of Fremont , Eastlake , Capitol Hill , and North Delridge in West Seattle . The proposal, which
3611-550: A result of the scandal and was succeeded by technical director Richard Sandaas in September. The granite was rejected by Metro and was returned to the supplier in Italy. Before this discovery, in September 1987, African-American rights groups had forced tunnel contractor Atkinson/Dillingham to return 36 steel beams from South Africa used for temporary shoring at Pioneer Square station . This led Metro Director Alan Gibbs to propose
3768-627: A segment of the 1 Line, which runs for 33 miles (53 km) from Lynnwood City Center station through the University of Washington , Downtown Seattle , and the Rainier Valley , and terminates at Angle Lake station near Seattle–Tacoma International Airport . Trains serve all downtown tunnel stations 20 hours a day every day; during regular weekday service, trains run roughly every six to 10 minutes during rush hour and midday operation, respectively, with longer headways of 15 minutes in
3925-480: A set of trolley poles for mobility. Online Electric Vehicles are buses that run on a conventional battery, but are recharged frequently at certain points via underground wires. Certain types of buses, styled after old-style streetcars, are also called trackless trolleys, but are built on the same platforms as a typical diesel , CNG , or hybrid bus; these are more often used for tourist rides than commuting and tend to be privately owned. Passenger rail transport
4082-412: A single (or return) trip, or valid within a certain area for a period of time (see transit pass ). The fare is based on the travel class, either depending on the traveled distance, or based on zone pricing . The tickets may have to be shown or checked automatically at the station platform or when boarding, or during the ride by a conductor . Operators may choose to control all riders, allowing sale of
4239-602: A single route, Sound Transit Express route 550, heading east to Mercer Island and Bellevue via Interstate 90. During closures of the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel, tunnel buses were rerouted onto 2nd and 4th Avenues between Yesler Way and Pine Street, and Stewart Street and Olive Way between 2nd and Boren Avenues. Metro also runs a special route , the Route 97 Link Shuttle , between all Link light rail stations during service disruptions. The DSTT
4396-465: A small power outage that affected eight downtown buildings on the night of October 28, but were able to restore power by the following morning. Work on the western tunnel was briefly interrupted in November, when the TBM hit an unexpectedly large pocket of loose sand under Madison Street that had to be stabilized with grout to prevent damage to the adjacent Seattle City Light building. Boring on both tunnels
4553-413: A smaller suburban or town center. The stations are often combined with shuttle bus or park and ride systems. Frequency may be up to several times per hour, and commuter rail systems may either be part of the national railway or operated by local transit agencies. Common forms of commuter rail employ either diesel electric locomotives, or electric multiple unit trains. Some commuter train lines share
4710-574: A station and exchange passengers. There is often a potential conflict between this objective and optimising the utilisation of vehicles and drivers. The main sources of financing are ticket revenue, government subsidies and advertising. The percentage of revenue from passenger charges is known as the farebox recovery ratio . A limited amount of income may come from land development and rental income from stores and vendors, parking fees, and leasing tunnels and rights-of-way to carry fiber optic communication lines. Most—but not all—public transport requires
4867-475: A station on First Hill , but due to soil conditions that might increase costs and construction risks, as well as cost-effectiveness requirements, the station was dropped from the route. To mitigate the impact of the cancelled First Hill station, the First Hill Streetcar was built to connect First Hill to the Pioneer Square and International District neighborhoods via Broadway and South Jackson Street;
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5024-431: A tram line. Light rail lines are, thus, essentially modernized interurbans . Unlike trams, light rail trains are often longer and have one to four cars per train. Somewhere between light and heavy rail in terms of carbon footprint , monorail systems usually use overhead single tracks, either mounted directly on the track supports or put in an overhead design with the train suspended. Monorail systems are used throughout
5181-494: A turn northward along Nagle Place into Capitol Hill station , located near Cal Anderson Park and Seattle Central College on Capitol Hill . Leaving the station, University Link Tunnel then turns northeast and descends at a 4.1% grade , reaching its greatest depth under Volunteer Park at 300 feet (91 m) below ground level, before turning northward in the Montlake neighborhood. The tunnel passes 15 feet (4.6 m) under
5338-659: Is a system of transport for passengers by group travel systems available for use by the general public unlike private transport , typically managed on a schedule, operated on established routes, and that may charge a posted fee for each trip. There is no rigid definition of which kinds of transport are included, and air travel is often not thought of when discussing public transport—dictionaries use wording like "buses, trains, etc." Examples of public transport include city buses , trolleybuses , trams (or light rail ) and passenger trains , rapid transit (metro/subway/underground, etc.) and ferries . Public transport between cities
5495-507: Is a term used for buses operating on dedicated right-of-way, much like a light rail. Coach services use coaches (long-distance buses) for suburb-to-CBD or longer-distance transportation. The vehicles are normally equipped with more comfortable seating, a separate luggage compartment, video and possibly also a toilet. They have higher standards than city buses, but a limited stopping pattern. Trolleybuses are electrically powered buses that receive power from overhead power line by way of
5652-496: Is a transit technology that moves people in motor-less, engine-less vehicles that are propelled by a steel cable. There are two sub-groups of CPT— gondola lifts and cable cars (railway) . Gondola lifts are supported and propelled from above by cables, whereas cable cars are supported and propelled from below by cables. While historically associated with usage in ski resorts , gondola lifts are now finding increased consumption and utilization in many urban areas—built specifically for
5809-421: Is an all-encompassing term for various types of local rail systems, such as these examples trams , light rail , rapid transit , people movers , commuter rail , monorail , suspension railways and funiculars . Commuter rail is part of an urban area's public transport. It provides faster services to outer suburbs and neighboring satellite cities . Trains stop at train stations that are located to serve
5966-484: Is common with roads for automobiles. Interchanges are locations where passengers can switch from one public transport route to another. This may be between vehicles of the same mode (like a bus interchange), or e.g. between bus and train. It can be between local and intercity transport (such as at a central station or airport). Timetables (or 'schedules' in North American English ) are provided by
6123-610: Is dominated by airlines , coaches , and intercity rail . High-speed rail networks are being developed in many parts of the world. Most public transport systems run along fixed routes with set embarkation/disembarkation points to a prearranged timetable, with the most frequent services running to a headway (e.g.: "every 15 minutes" as opposed to being scheduled for any specific time of the day). However, most public transport trips include other modes of travel, such as passengers walking or catching bus services to access train stations. Share taxis offer on-demand services in many parts of
6280-430: Is especially valuable in cases where there are capacity problems for private transport. Investments in infrastructure are expensive and make up a substantial part of the total costs in systems that are new or expanding. Once built, the infrastructure will require operating and maintenance costs, adding to the total cost of public transport. Sometimes governments subsidize infrastructure by providing it free of charge, just as
6437-503: Is open for 20 hours on weekdays and Saturdays, from 5:00 am to 1:00 am the following day, and for 18 hours on Sundays, from 6:00 am to midnight. At the time of its opening in 1990, the Metro Bus Tunnel only operated from 5:00 am to 7:00 pm on weekdays and 10:00 am to 6:00 pm on Saturdays, with no Sunday service; the operating hours were temporarily extended into weekday nights from 1998 to 2000 at
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6594-656: Is reasonably comfortable (seats, toilets, services), and can thus be scheduled and used pleasurably, productively or for (overnight) rest. Chauffeured movement is enjoyed by many people when it is relaxing, safe, but not too monotonous. Waiting, interchanging, stops and holdups, for example due to traffic or for security, are discomforting. Jet lag is a human constraint discouraging frequent rapid long-distance east–west commuting, favoring modern telecommunications and VR technologies. An airline provides scheduled service with aircraft between airports. Air travel has high speeds, but incurs large waiting times before and after travel, and
6751-444: Is the conveyance of passengers by means of wheeled vehicles specially designed to run on railways. Trains allow high capacity at most distance scales, but require track , signalling , infrastructure and stations to be built and maintained resulting in high upfront costs. Intercity rail is long-haul passenger services that connect multiple urban areas. They have few stops, and aim at high average speeds, typically only making one of
6908-721: Is therefore often only feasible over longer distances or in areas where a lack of surface infrastructure makes other modes of transport impossible. Bush airlines work more similarly to bus stops; an aircraft waits for passengers and takes off when the aircraft is full. Bus services use buses on conventional roads to carry numerous passengers on shorter journeys. Buses operate with low capacity (compared with trams or trains), and can operate on conventional roads, with relatively inexpensive bus stops to serve passengers. Therefore, buses are commonly used in smaller cities, towns, and rural areas, and for shuttle services supplementing other means of transit in large cities. Bus rapid transit (BRT)
7065-718: The 1925 serum run to Nome as a reference to the Washington Huskies athletic program . Another machine, named Brenda, was manufactured by Hitachi Zosen in Japan and was launched twice to complete the tunnels from Capitol Hill station to the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel ; the 679,500-pound (308,200 kg) machine was later refurbished and used again on the Northgate Link Tunnel from 2014 to 2016. Light rail service on
7222-503: The 1990 Goodwill Games to be held in July, but Metro rejected the proposal so that the safety systems of the tunnel could be tested adequately before service began. Testing in the bus tunnel began with a ceremonial first run on March 15, 1989, first with a diesel bus and then one of the Breda dual-mode trolleybuses operating in diesel mode, as the overhead trolley wires had not yet been installed. Wooden planks and steel plates covered slots in
7379-535: The Federal Transit Administration's (FTA) best rating of "High". During a visit in November 2006 by Transportation Secretary Mary Peters and Senator Patty Murray , it was announced that the line had passed its third of four milestones to get the grant when it received federal approval to complete its final design. In January 2008, the FTA announced that they would finance $ 830 million of
7536-657: The Forward Thrust initiatives of the late 1960s, which was centered around a downtown subway under 3rd Avenue. The subway would be fed by lines from Ballard , Lake City , the University District, Capitol Hill, Bellevue , and Renton , combining for a planned minimum headway of 1.5 minutes at rush hour, 2.5 minutes during midday, and five minutes at all other times. The stations on 3rd Avenue were to be situated at South Jackson Street and 5th Avenue South, James and Cherry streets, Seneca and Spring streets, and Pike and Pine streets, all planned to open by 1985 and operated by
7693-597: The Montlake Cut while climbing a 4.5% grade to end at University of Washington station near Husky Stadium . Sound Transit originally estimated that the trip between Westlake and the University of Washington would take 8 minutes, but later refined it to a scheduled 6 minutes. Trains run 20 hours a day on weekdays in the tunnel, arriving every 6 to 10 minutes during rush hour and midday, and every 15 to 20 minutes at other times. The line originally included
7850-557: The Municipality of Metropolitan Seattle . Seattle voters were asked to provide $ 385 million (equivalent to $ 3.37 billion in 2023 dollars), to supplement a $ 765 million grant (equivalent to $ 6.7 billion in 2023 dollars) from the Urban Mass Transportation Administration (UMTA), during a municipal election on February 13, 1968, narrowly passing the bond by 50.8%, but falling short of
8007-540: The SODO Busway opened, extending bus service from the tunnel into SODO and moving southbound routes off Interstate 5. Direct access from Interstate 90 to the bus tunnel was opened in February 1992 as part of a reversible express lane system for the new floating bridge . The first use of the tunnel by Sound Transit buses began on September 18, 1999, with the takeover of Metro's Seattle–Bellevue express route, which
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#17327806396998164-619: The SODO Busway , or east via Interstate 90 . It was owned by King County Metro and shared with Sound Transit through a joint-operating agreement signed in 2002; Sound Transit assumed full ownership in 2022. The Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel was one of two tunnels in the United States shared by buses and trains, the other being the Mount Washington Transit Tunnel in Pittsburgh , and was the only one in
8321-739: The South Lake Union Streetcar and the Seattle Center Monorail as well as the King County Metro and Sound Transit buses. Leaving Westlake Station, the bored set of twin tunnels turn south under Century Square to follow 3rd Avenue and its transit mall through the central business district , parallel to the shoreline of Elliott Bay . Three blocks south of Pine Street, buses and trains enter Symphony station , located between Union and Seneca streets adjacent to Benaroya Hall and 1201 Third Avenue in
8478-532: The University Link Extension of Central Link (now the 1 Line), running from the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel to University of Washington station via Capitol Hill station . The 21 ft-wide (6.4 m) tunnels are lined with precast gasketed concrete segments connected with steel bolts and was excavated using three tunnel-boring machines in 2011 and 2012. Light rail service began on March 19, 2016. Construction of light rail
8635-567: The University of Washington Medical Center , instead of at 15th Avenue NE and NE Pacific Street as selected in 1999. An additional station serving the university was opened in 2021 at NE 45th Street and Brooklyn Avenue NE as part of the Northgate Link Extension , approved by voters in November 2008 as part of the Sound Transit 2 (ST2) package. A groundbreaking ceremony for the project was held on March 6, 2009, at
8792-783: The Washington State Convention Center . Until its closure in 2018, Convention Place was the only bus-exclusive station in the tunnel, and consisted of four sheltered platforms in a sunken, open-air layover space below street level. Buses entered the tunnel from 9th Avenue and passed under the historic Camlin Hotel , before joining the University Link Tunnel used by light rail trains headed north for three blocks under Pine Street to Capitol Hill station . The DSTT enters Westlake station under Pine Street between 3rd and 6th avenues, located between
8949-661: The Westlake Center shopping mall and Westlake Park . The station features a two-block-long mezzanine with exits to Pine Street and several retailers, including the Westlake Center, the former The Bon Marché flagship store, and the Nordstrom Building , as well as the former King County Metro customer service center. The area around the station is known as the Westlake Hub, with connections to
9106-795: The administrative centers of the Seattle and King County governments, located within walking distance of Seattle City Hall , the Seattle Municipal Tower , the King County Courthouse and the King County Administration Building , as well as other major buildings, including Smith Tower , Columbia Center and the Alaska Building . From Pioneer Square, the tunnel travels down a 5.5% grade to cross 4.5 feet (1.4 m) under
9263-439: The mezzanines . A total of 11 wheelchair - accessible elevators connect the tunnel stations to the surface. The deepest of the tunnel stations are 60 feet (18 m) below street level and consist of two side platforms , two tracks, and a former bus passing lane in the middle. Since 2019, the stations have also had signs with numbered exits to aid in rider wayfinding. As part of the city's public art program that began in 1973,
9420-482: The stagecoaches traveling a fixed route between coaching inns , and the horse-drawn boat carrying paying passengers, which was a feature of European canals from the 17th century onwards. The canal itself as a form of infrastructure dates back to antiquity. In ancient Egypt canals were used for freight transportation to bypass the Aswan cataract. The Chinese also built canals for water transportation as far back as
9577-851: The warring States period which began in the 5th century BCE. Whether or not those canals were used for for-hire public transport remains unknown; the Grand Canal in China (begun in 486 BCE) served primarily the grain trade . The bus , the first organized public transit system within a city, appears to have originated in Paris in 1662, although the service in question, Carrosses à cinq sols (English: five-sol coaches), which have been developed by mathematician and philosopher Blaise Pascal , lasted only fifteen years until 1677. Buses are known to have operated in Nantes in 1826. The public bus transport system
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#17327806396999734-446: The 1 Line) light rail trains with shared lanes and platforms. The roadway was lowered by 8 inches (20 cm) and other improvements were made to prepare for light rail service. New hybrid electric buses were moved into the tunnel to replace the Breda fleet, as the overhead wire was replaced for light rail trains. The tunnel reopened on September 24, 2007, and light rail service began on July 18, 2009. A stub tunnel, branching from
9891-646: The 3rd Avenue segment to minimize surface-level disruptions that would be present from cut-and-cover excavation. Stations would be located at Union Station south of Jackson Street, under 3rd Avenue and James Street, under 3rd Avenue and University Street, at the Westlake Mall and at 9th Avenue and Pine Street near the Washington State Convention Center. The Metro Council approved the station sites and use of tunnel-boring machines in July 1985, proceeding with final design by approving
10048-421: The 3rd Avenue tunnel segment began with the ceremonial launch of the "Mighty Mole", a 140-short-ton (130 t), 129-foot-long (39 m) tunnel boring machine (TBM), on March 6, 1987. The TBM, designed by Robbins Company of Kent, Washington , and built by Nicholson Manufacturing in Seattle, began digging the western tunnel from Union Station the following May. A second, identical "Mighty Mole" TBM began digging
10205-648: The City of Seattle for the bus tunnel project in October 1984, allowing for right-of-way acquisition to begin, but the funds were withheld until restrictions on new transit projects were lifted by the United States Senate the following May. The Downtown Transit Project subcommittee unanimously approved Metro recommendations that would reduce the number of bus tunnel stations from six to five, saving $ 35 million, as well as opting for tunnel boring machines for
10362-426: The Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel and its stations were furnished with $ 1.5 million (equivalent to $ 4 million in 2023 dollars) in artwork by 25 artists commissioned by King County Metro. The northern portal, formerly accessible to buses at street level from Olive Way, and from Interstate 5 via an express lane ramp, was the former Convention Place station at the intersection of 9th Avenue and Pine Street near
10519-638: The Great Northern Tunnel at a 45-degree angle near the intersection of 4th Avenue South and South Washington Street, briefly descending below sea level , before turning cardinal south into the International District neighborhood. International District/Chinatown station, the southernmost tunnel station, is partially open-air and located immediately below a public plaza at Union Station . The station has connections to Amtrak and Sounder commuter rail at King Street Station
10676-552: The Interstate 90 express lanes. The eastbound ramps will be retrofitted for the East Link light rail service that begins in 2025 on the 2 Line. The Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel is part of the "Third Avenue Transit Spine", the busiest transit corridor in Seattle, serving a combined average of 54,000 weekday riders with bus stops on the surface. The tunnel has a theoretical capacity of 40 trains per hour per direction with
10833-587: The King County Council signed a new joint-operations agreement in June 2002, leaving King County Metro as owners of the tunnel and Sound Transit responsible for paying part of the tunnel's debt service at an estimated cost of $ 65 million. The agreement would allow for buses and light rail trains to share the tunnel and its stations beginning in 2009, after a two-year closure for renovations. A separate agreement signed in May 2003 selected King County Metro as
10990-580: The King County Courthouse, between Seneca and Union streets, at the Westlake Mall, and near the Washington State Convention Center. The Burlington Northern Railroad opposed Metro's preference for the tunnel to cross the existing Great Northern Tunnel by going under it, the agency stating that passing over would require a cut-and-cover tunnel that would disrupt City Hall Park . The following month, Metro announced that it would use
11147-515: The Netherlands many individuals use e-bikes to replace their car commutes. In major American cities, start-up companies such as Uber and Lyft have implemented e-scooters as a way for people to take short trips around the city. All public transport runs on infrastructure, either on roads, rail, airways or seaways. The infrastructure can be shared with other modes, freight and private transport, or it can be dedicated to public transport. The latter
11304-543: The UK National Infrastructure Commission in 2018 states that "cycling is mass transit and must be treated as such." Cycling infrastructure is normally provided without charge to users because it is cheaper to operate than mechanised transit systems that use sophisticated equipment and do not use human power . Many cities around the world have introduced electric bikes and scooters to their public transport infrastructure. For example, in
11461-410: The United States with shared stations. Though proposals for a rapid transit tunnel under 3rd Avenue were introduced in the 1910s and 1920s, planning for the modern bus and rail Metro Bus Tunnel only began in 1974. The King County Metro Council approved the bus tunnel proposal in November 1983, but construction did not begin until March 1987. The tunnel between Convention Place and Westlake stations
11618-569: The United States; the Mount Washington Transit Tunnel , a joint bus and rail tunnel in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania , had already been in operation but lacked underground stations. Service on the Central Link light rail line began on July 18, 2009, operating from Westlake station in the tunnel to Tukwila International Boulevard station near the airport. Light rail service was extended north from Westlake to University of Washington station (via Capitol Hill station ) on March 19, 2016, coinciding with
11775-472: The University District and towards Northgate , using the Montlake Cut and a new station at Husky Stadium . Sound Transit began the federal grant process in August 2005 for a US$ 750 million grant that would allow Sound Transit to build the $ 1.9 billion project to connect the University of Washington and Capitol Hill to Downtown Seattle without increasing local taxes. In November 2005, the line received
11932-605: The University Link Extension began on March 19, 2016. The extension opened six months earlier than scheduled, by using unused float time , and came in $ 200 million under the $ 1.9 billion budget. Cellular service in the tunnel began in August 2016 for T-Mobile customers, provided by an agreement with Mobilitie to install a distributed antenna system during the tunnel's construction. The University Link tunnel begins in Downtown Seattle at
12089-413: The approach to Pine Street from 3rd Avenue, complaints and payouts to downtown businesses disrupted by tunnel construction, and the death of an electrician during construction. Excavated dirt from the project was used as fill for runway expansion at Paine Field in nearby Everett . A minor scandal involving the bus tunnel project emerged in late 1988, over the discovery that granite to be used by Metro in
12246-418: The bus tunnel in 1988, appropriating half of the $ 5 million used to install them during tunnel construction, the remainder coming from federal sources. To save $ 1.5 million in costs, Metro eliminated most of the rail's electrical insulation , which would later render them unusable for rail service. A regional transit authority was formed in the early 1990s to build and operate a light rail system that would use
12403-464: The bus tunnel project, assuming re-authorization of a mass transit grant program by Congress, while also extending the deadline for a final decision to September 1987. Hours later, the Metro Council awarded the first construction contract for utility relocation, with construction set to begin in July. The Metro Council accepted the UMTA contract during their June 5 meeting, allowing for bidding on tunnel construction to begin. The tunnel construction contract
12560-453: The bus tunnel while waiting for assurance on federal funding being able to cover half of the $ 395 million cost of the project; the council was scheduled to begin awarding contracts for utility relocation along 3rd Avenue and Pine Street in preparation for tunnel construction. On May 15, the Reagan administration signed a contract with Metro to commit $ 197 million of the $ 395 million required for
12717-437: The bus tunnel within Downtown Seattle. The authority, later named Sound Transit , gained voter approval in November 1996 to build a $ 3.9 billion system between Seattle–Tacoma International Airport, Downtown Seattle, and the University District. In 1998, Sound Transit found that the rails in the tunnel would need to be replaced at a cost of up to $ 110 million and require a full closure for two years. The plan would also require
12874-517: The city's trolleybus network. The last day of trolleybus operation in the tunnel was January 24, 2005, with only a single dual-mode bus in service on the final day. In February 2004, Sound Transit announced that it would begin the closure and renovation of the bus tunnel in September 2005, two years earlier than scheduled, to save money and reduce construction delays. Construction of a stub tunnel under Pine Street near Convention Place station, to be used for light rail train storage and turnback, as well as
13031-464: The commercial district further north, and by the three daily newspapers published in Seattle. A special municipal election for the comprehensive plan was held on March 5, 1912, in which Seattle voters rejected it by a 10,000-vote margin. Although Bogue's proposal was ultimately rejected, some elements of the plan were independently studied by others, including a rapid transit subway in Downtown Seattle. In 1920, City Engineer Arthur H. Dimmock published
13188-713: The commuter rail hybrid S-Bahn . More than 160 cities have rapid transit systems, totalling more than 8,000 km (4,971 mi) of track and 7,000 stations. Twenty-five cities have systems under construction. People movers are a special term for grade-separated rail which uses vehicles that are smaller and shorter in size. These systems are generally used only in a small area such as a theme park or an airport. Trams (also known as streetcars or trolleys) are railborne vehicles that originally ran in city streets, though over decades more and more dedicated tracks are used. They have higher capacity than buses, but must follow dedicated infrastructure with rails and wires either above or below
13345-413: The completion of Westlake Park and the Westlake Center shopping mall, a year ahead of schedule. By October 1988, Metro reported that 53% of major construction was complete and anticipated that the tunnel would be completed in May 1990 and opened for service in September 1990. Seattle Mayor Norm Rice and City Council members Paul Kraabel and George Benson recommended a limited opening of the tunnel for
13502-400: The concrete roadway where rails would be installed later. Local media were given a tour the next day. By January 1990, the tunnel stations were declared "nearly complete", with only minor work still left for contractors. Murals and other interactive art installations were placed in the nearly complete stations from December 1989 onward, as part of a $ 1.5 million arts program. Tunnel construction
13659-487: The corridor to other east–west streets in February 1987. On April 27, excavation of the tunnel began with the closure of Pine Street, and its offramp to Interstate 5, to automobile traffic between 3rd Avenue and Boren Avenue. Workers finished digging in late August, allowing the project to progress to concrete pouring for the roadway. Pine Street was briefly re-opened for the Christmas shopping season beginning November 1 at
13816-415: The cost for the construction of the line after Sound Transit agreed to add $ 127 million in contingency amounts to cover unseen costs of the tunneling. After years of negotiations, Sound Transit reached an agreement on disruption and construction with the University of Washington in 2007. As part of the agreement, Sound Transit moved the preferred site of the first University station near Husky Stadium and
13973-511: The cost was paid by Sound Transit and supplemented by $ 8.1 million from King County Metro. As part of the renovations, the tunnel's roadway was lowered by eight inches (20 cm) to allow for level boarding, required by the Americans with Disabilities Act ; as a result, Metro added strobe lights to bus mirrors, which were lowered to head height, and added warning signs. New electrical, mechanical, and emergency systems were installed, along with
14130-447: The day or part of the day (known as clock-face scheduling ). Often, more frequent services or even extra routes are operated during the morning and evening rush hours . Coordination between services at interchange points is important to reduce the total travel time for passengers. This can be done by coordinating shuttle services with main routes, or by creating a fixed time (for instance twice per hour) when all bus and rail routes meet at
14287-419: The downtown bus tunnel by a unanimous vote on November 3, 1983, estimating a cost of $ 300 million to build a five-station tunnel under 3rd Avenue and Pine Street to be completed in 1989 along with the conversion of 3rd Avenue into a landscaped transit mall. Metro unveiled its preliminary plans for the bus tunnel in January 1984, selecting five sites for stations along 3rd Avenue and Pine Street: at Union Station,
14444-570: The downtown transit tunnel (excluding Convention Place). King County Executive Ron Sims proposed transferring ownership of the tunnel, along with $ 130 million in debt and liabilities for maintenance and operations, from King County Metro to Sound Transit in 2004. The two agencies signed an agreement in May 2000 that formally transferred ownership and responsibility for the tunnel to Sound Transit, in exchange for $ 195.6 million paid to King County Metro. Metro would retain ownership of Convention Place station and other assets, while Sound Transit would convert
14601-487: The early morning and 20 minutes at night. During weekends, 1 Line trains arrive every 10 minutes during midday hours and every 15 minutes during mornings and evenings. Light rail service from Westlake to International District/Chinatown takes approximately seven minutes. Prior to the cessation of bus service in March 2019, the DSTT was served by seven bus routes that stopped at all four tunnel stations as well as stops near
14758-473: The financial district. The station has a split mezzanine, with entrances to 2nd Avenue and University Street accessible from the north half, and an entrance to Seneca Street from the south half. From Symphony, the tunnel continues under 3rd Avenue for five blocks, entering the Pioneer Square neighborhood and historic district . At this point, 3rd Avenue passes several of Seattle's skyscrapers, including
14915-534: The former Convention Place station . At each station, bus routes were divided into three bays labeled with their general direction. Bay A was served by three routes heading north toward Northgate and the University District and east to Kirkland via State Route 520 ; Bay C was served by three routes heading south through the SODO Busway toward the Rainier Valley and Renton ; and Bay D was served by
15072-636: The future site of University of Washington station , marking the beginning of University Link construction. The project used three tunnel-boring machines , all sporting a 21-foot-diameter (6.4 m) cutterhead, during construction from May 2011 to May 2012. Two of the tunnel-boring machines, named "Balto" and "Togo", were manufactured by Herrenknecht in Germany and were launched from the University of Washington station south toward Capitol Hill; each machine weighed 1,109,900 pounds (503,400 kg) and were named after two famous Alaskan husky sled dogs from
15229-592: The historic Seattle Tower , Safeco Plaza , the Fourth and Madison Building and the Wells Fargo Center . Within Symphony station, the tunnel passes over the century-old Great Northern Tunnel with a clearance of 15 feet (5 m). Pioneer Square station is located between Cherry Street and Yesler Way, with four entrances to nearby streets and Prefontaine Place serving two mezzanines. The station serves
15386-465: The inclusion of the bus tunnel in the project's environmental impact assessment well into 1983, Seattle members opposing the tunnel in favor of a transit mall and suburban members supporting a bus tunnel that would be converted to a light rail system. On September 22, UMTA requested that a preferred alternative be declared by the end of November, which prompted the Metro Council to expedite its decision. Metro Council Executive Director Neil Peterson favored
15543-456: The location of their choice (rather than at a stop). Conventional transit simulations show that PRT might attract many auto users in problematic medium-density urban areas. A number of experimental systems are in progress. One might compare personal rapid transit to the more labor-intensive taxi or paratransit modes of transportation, or to the (by now automated) elevators common in many publicly accessible areas. Cable-propelled transit (CPT)
15700-400: The lost time and statistically higher risk of accident in private transport , together with the initial, running and parking costs. Loss of control , spatial constriction, overcrowding , high speeds/accelerations, height and other phobias may discourage use of public transport. Actual travel time on public transport becomes a lesser consideration when predictable and when travel itself
15857-427: The main tunnel, was constructed under Pine Street to allow light rail trains to stop and reverse direction; it was later used as the first segment of a light rail extension to Capitol Hill and the University of Washington that opened in 2016. Convention Place station was closed permanently on July 21, 2018, to make way for an expansion of the Washington State Convention Center that would also restrict bus access to
16014-406: The moving of several bus routes out of the tunnel to accommodate increased train frequencies. The ramp from International District/Chinatown station to the Interstate 90 express lanes was closed in September 2018 as part of preparations for East Link construction. Public transit Public transport (also known as public transportation , public transit , mass transit , or simply transit )
16171-410: The next several years, until June 2004, service in the tunnel was provided exclusively by dual-mode buses, which ran as trolleybuses in the tunnel – like the city's extensive trolleybus system – and as diesel buses on surface streets and freeways. The tunnel was closed on September 24, 2005, for modification to accommodate both buses and Sound Transit's Central Link (now
16328-441: The north end of the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel under Pine Street at 9th Avenue near Convention Place bus station ; the nearest train stop is at Westlake station , five blocks to the west. The tunnel heads northeast along Pine Street in a cut-and-cover tunnel for two blocks until the tunnel-bored segment begins at Boren Avenue underneath Interstate 5 . It turns east, dipping south as far as Union Street, before completing
16485-409: The number of buses operated on 3rd Avenue at peak hours from 190 to 86, with 20 Metro routes using the tunnel. The Seattle Times called it a "qualified success", commenting that the tunnel was like a "mini-subway system". The paper's editorial board also requested that Metro expand tunnel hours to keep buses running for late-night workers and entertainment events held on weekends. On December 9, 1991,
16642-499: The operator of the light rail line. Metro began testing a fleet of new hybrid diesel-electric buses in 2002, intending to use them in the bus tunnel before and after the conversion to joint bus-rail operations. The first few of a planned fleet of 235 hybrid diesel-electric articulated buses began operating on tunnel bus routes in June 2004. The Breda dual-mode trolleybuses were removed from the tunnel in January 2005 and would later be refurbished into electric-only trolleybuses for use on
16799-440: The parallel eastern tunnel on June 29. During tunnel boring under 3rd Avenue between Spring Street and Madison Street on October 21, a small earthflow damaged a water main and caused pavement on 3rd Avenue to drop 8 inches (20 cm), shutting down water in the nearby Seattle City Light and 1001 Fourth Avenue Plaza buildings. While repairing the broken water main, electricians working on damaged high-voltage cables caused
16956-563: The project's budget. During a press conference on January 25, 1989, Metro Director Alan Gibbs confirmed that the granite had been quarried in South Africa and announced that an investigative report would be delivered to the Metro Council Transit Committee the following week. The announcement was met with calls from King County Councilman Ron Sims to fire the responsible Metro officials who knowingly allowed
17113-492: The public transport leg of their journey and how close it leaves them to their desired destination. Timeliness is how long they must wait for the vehicle. Directness records how far a journey using public transport deviates from a passenger's ideal route. In selecting between competing modes of transport , many individuals are strongly motivated by direct cost (travel fare/ ticket price to them) and convenience , as well as being informed by habit . The same individual may accept
17270-481: The purchase of a ticket to generate revenue for the operators. Tickets may be bought either in advance, or at the time of the journey, or the carrier may allow both methods. Passengers may be issued with a paper ticket, a metal or plastic token , or a magnetic or electronic card ( smart card , contactless smart card ). Sometimes a ticket has to be validated, e.g. a paper ticket has to be stamped, or an electronic ticket has to be checked in. Tickets may be valid for
17427-406: The purchase of new hybrid electric buses to replace the Breda fleet, as the electrical systems were incompatible. Convention Place station would have to be abandoned as it was too shallow to support a northern extension under Interstate 5. Sound Transit approved its route for the light rail project, named Central Link (now the 1 Line), in November 1999, including four of the five stations in
17584-500: The purchase. Metro's ban on South African goods was stricter than the federal sanctions, which only prohibited importation of specific materials such as steel, coal, uranium and agricultural products, and was used by UMTA to threaten to pull its funding for the bus tunnel project. A report by the Metro Council Rules Committee delivered in March stated that the granite's origin was discovered in early 1988, and
17741-619: The purposes of mass transit. Many, if not all, of these systems are implemented and fully integrated within existing public transportation networks. Examples include Metrocable (Medellín) , Metrocable (Caracas) , Mi Teleférico in La Paz , Portland Aerial Tram , Roosevelt Island Tramway in New York City, and the London Cable Car . A ferry is a boat used to carry (or ferry ) passengers, and sometimes their vehicles, across
17898-615: The reduced emissions and other environmental impacts of using public transportation over private transportation, many experts have pointed to an increased investment in public transit as an important climate change mitigation tactic. Conveyances designed for public hire are as old as the first ferry service . The earliest public transport was water transport . Ferries appear in Greek mythology writings. The mystical ferryman Charon had to be paid and would only then take passengers to Hades . Some historical forms of public transport include
18055-492: The reopened tunnel was in use only on weekdays, with Saturday operation not yet reinstated. Stations were given new entrance signs, lighting fixtures, electronic passenger information signs , and restored paint. The peak bus-only restrictions on 3rd Avenue remained in place after the reopening, along with the skip-stop service that Metro implemented on the street. The tunnel was temporarily closed for nine days in December after
18212-466: The request of downtown merchants, with a temporary surface laid over backfill for automobiles and pedestrians. On January 4, the street was closed to automobile traffic once again, along with the intersection of 5th Avenue and Pine Street and the Pike Street offramp of I-5, to install utility lines and a permanent roadway. Pine Street was fully reopened to traffic on November 1, 1988, coinciding with
18369-472: The request of the Seattle Seahawks and Seattle Mariners , but were cut after the passage of Initiative 695 and subsequent loss of motor vehicle excise tax revenue. Preparations for Link light rail service restored late-night and full weekend hours for the tunnel, introduced in June 2009 after Sound Transit Express route 550 moved all of its trips into the tunnel. Coordination between trains in
18526-582: The required 60 percent supermajority . A second attempt on May 19, 1970, with an adjusted $ 440 million local contribution (equivalent to $ 3.45 billion in 2023 dollars) and $ 881 million federal grant (equivalent to $ 6.91 billion in 2023 dollars), failed to pass with only 46% approval amid a local recession caused by layoffs at Boeing ; the earmarked funds intended for the Forward Thrust rapid transit project were instead allocated to Atlanta , to build its rapid transit system . The concept of
18683-462: The rush hour demand of downtown bus ridership by 1980. The study suggested that a double-decked tunnel with automated guideway transit to complement bus service, running from Union Station to the Seattle Center , would be able to meet projected demand at an estimated cost of $ 450 million. Ultimately, the plan was rejected because of the high cost of ventilation for diesel buses that would use
18840-415: The science buildings, and to mitigate environmental impacts due to construction and traffic impacts from having the station on university grounds. In 1999, Sound Transit chose their preferred route for the light rail system, including a 4.5-mile-long (7.2 km) tunnel between downtown, First Hill , Capitol Hill and the University District with a crossing under Portage Bay ; the tunnel under Portage Bay
18997-408: The smoke filled subway tunnels from the steam engines. In 1894, Boston built the first subway in the United States, an electric streetcar line in a 1.5-mile tunnel under Tremont Street's retail district. Other cities quickly followed, constructing thousands of miles of subway in the following decades. In March 2020, Luxembourg abolished fares for trains, trams and buses and became the first country in
19154-481: The streetcar began operation in January 2016, months later than anticipated because of delivery issues with the vehicle manufacturer. The tunnel has a total of 16 cross passages excavated in 2012 and 2013 using the Sequential Excavation Method to connect the two bores at regular intervals for use as emergency exits and maintenance access points. There is one vent for the tunnel, located at
19311-559: The ticket at the time of ride. Alternatively, a proof-of-payment system allows riders to enter the vehicles without showing the ticket, but riders may or may not be controlled by a ticket controller ; if the rider fails to show proof of payment, the operator may fine the rider at the magnitude of the fare. University Link The University Link tunnel is a 3.15-mile (5.07 km) light rail tunnel in Seattle , Washington . The twin-bore tunnel carries Link light rail service on
19468-504: The track, limiting their flexibility. In the United States, trams were commonly used prior to the 1930s, before being superseded by the bus. In modern public transport systems, they have been reintroduced in the form of the light rail. Light rail is a term coined in 1972 and uses mainly tram technology. Light rail has mostly dedicated right-of-ways and less sections shared with other traffic and usually step-free access. Light rails line are generally traversed with increased speed compared to
19625-517: The transport operator to allow users to plan their journeys. They are often supplemented by maps and fare schemes to help travelers coordinate their travel. Online public transport route planners help make planning easier. Mobile apps are available for multiple transit systems that provide timetables and other service information and, in some cases, allow ticket purchase, some allowing to plan your journey, with time fares zones e.g. Services are often arranged to operate at regular intervals throughout
19782-422: The tunnel comfort room for bus drivers. The southern portal of the tunnel is located under the intersection of Airport Way and 5th Avenue South at the western terminus of the former Interstate 90 express lanes for high-occupancy vehicles . Until bus operations ceased, southbound routes continued from the tunnel in separated lanes on the SODO Busway , while eastbound buses used a set of ramps that traveled onto
19939-605: The tunnel alternative, while the Seattle City Council and Mayor Charles Royer preferred the transit mall, but stated that a tunnel would be a long-term solution to downtown congestion. The Seattle City Council reversed its decision on their preferred alternative, voting unanimously on October 17 in favor of an electric-only transit tunnel. Along with Mayor Royer, they were willing to compromise on Peterson's proposed dual-mode buses to serve suburban commuters where trolleybuses were not feasible. The Metro Council approved
20096-654: The tunnel is managed by the Link Light Rail Operations Control Center (OCC), located at the King County Metro Communication and Control Center in SoDo . The OCC controls vehicle movements (and formerly operations between buses and trains) by using on-board radio-frequency identification tags installed on tunnel buses and light rail vehicles, their locations tracked by passing over induction loops embedded in
20253-444: The tunnel roadway. Signals at each station indicate when a driver can proceed through the tunnel. Within the DSTT, speed limits are set at 15 miles per hour (24 km/h) in stations and staging areas and 30 miles per hour (48 km/h) between stations. During joint operations, Light rail trains and buses were required to wait in the tunnels between stations until the platform was cleared of vehicles ahead; buses were mandated to keep
20410-442: The tunnel to Lynnwood City Center and south through the Rainier Valley past Seattle–Tacoma International Airport to Angle Lake station as part of Sound Transit 's light rail network. The DSTT was used only by buses from its opening in 1990 until 2005, and shared by buses and light rail from 2009 until 2019. Bus routes from King County Metro and Sound Transit Express left the tunnel north via Interstate 5 , south via
20567-404: The tunnel to rail operation after 2004. Sound Transit underwent a funding crisis in 2001 after the Central Link light rail project was found to be over budget and would not be able to open until 2009, three years later than planned. The light rail project was truncated to Westlake station in Downtown Seattle and to Tukwila , the sections north of downtown and south to the airport being deferred to
20724-509: The tunnel's stations had been sourced from South Africa . The Verde Fontaine granite was quarried in South Africa, which had been under Apartheid rule at the time, but was cut and finished in Italy, allowing for it to be approved despite the Metro Council's ongoing boycott of South African goods . The Verde Fontaine granite was selected for use as benches and interior walls in Westlake and Pioneer Square stations by architecture firm TRA; Metro
20881-523: The tunnel, minimizing emissions and noise. Several proposals for a cut-and-cover subway tunnel under 3rd Avenue in Downtown Seattle were presented to the City of Seattle by predecessors of the Seattle Planning Commission throughout the 20th century. The first major proposal was part of urban planner Virgil Bogue 's "Plan for Seattle" in 1911, as Route 1 of a proposed rapid transit network. Route 1 ran southeast on 3rd Avenue from
21038-482: The tunnel. UMTA ranked Metro's bus tunnel project as first among transit projects favored to receive federal funding in 1985, despite its reliance on unproven dual-mode buses. Metro tested a prototype Renault PER 180 dual-mode trolleybus in 1983, describing it as problematic after finding it exceeded freeway axle load limits by 2 short tons (1.8 t ) and having to replace several parts after several mechanical failures. Congress later appropriated $ 20 million to
21195-434: The tunnel. On March 23, 2019, bus service in the tunnel ceased and its remaining seven routes were moved to surface streets. The 1.3-mile-long (2.1 km), 18-foot-diameter (5.5 m) tunnel is used by the 1 Line between Westlake and International District/Chinatown stations. Entrances at several tunnel stations are built into nearby buildings with variable-message signs over the stairs and elevators leading to
21352-415: The tunnel. The bus tunnel proposal resurfaced in 1979, outlining a tunnel from South Jackson Street to Pine Street that would carry 200 buses an hour in each direction at a cost of up to $ 350 million with the option of conversion for electric rail transit in the future. The tunnel was suggested by Metro officials and engineering consultants Parsons Brinckerhoff as a solution to worsening downtown traffic, and
21509-408: The use and extent of public transport. The International Association of Public Transport (UITP) is the international network for public transport authorities and operators, policy decision-makers, scientific institutes and the public transport supply and service industry. It has over 1,900 members from more than 100 countries from all over the globe. In recent years, some high-wealth cities have seen
21666-518: The western tunnel on March 14, and the TBM reached Westlake station on April 9, completing the first of the two tunnels. The eastern tunnel was completed a month later on May 18, allowing for parts of the TBMs to be salvaged and the steel outer shells to be buried in the tunnel. The Pine Street segment of the tunnel was planned to be dug cut-and-cover from the surface. In preparation for utility relocation work on Pine Street, Metro moved 36 bus routes serving
21823-536: The world (especially in Europe and east Asia , particularly Japan ), but apart from public transit installations in Las Vegas and Seattle, most North American monorails are either short shuttle services or privately owned services (With 150,000 daily riders, the Disney monorail systems used at their parks may be the most famous in the world). Personal rapid transit is an automated cab service that runs on rails or
21980-544: The world to make all public transport free. The Encyclopædia Britannica specifies that public transportation is within urban areas, but does not limit its discussion of the topic to urban areas. Seven criteria estimate the usability of different types of public transport and its overall appeal. The criteria are speed, comfort, safety, cost, proximity, timeliness and directness. Speed is calculated from total journey time including transfers. Proximity means how far passengers must walk or otherwise travel before they can begin
22137-745: The world, which may compete with fixed public transport lines, or complement them, by bringing passengers to interchanges. Paratransit is sometimes used in areas of low demand and for people who need a door-to-door service. Urban public transit differs distinctly among Asia, North America, and Europe. In Asia, profit-driven, privately owned and publicly traded mass transit and real estate conglomerates predominantly operate public transit systems. In North America, municipal transit authorities most commonly run mass transit operations. In Europe, both state-owned and private companies predominantly operate mass transit systems. For geographical, historical and economic reasons, differences exist internationally regarding
22294-432: Was authorized by tunnel superintendent David Kalberer with the assumption that only a small amount would be used to furnish University Street station (now Symphony station). Kalberer, who received praise for his work on the project before the scandal, admitted that the failure to consult the Metro Council's tunnel subcommittee before signing off on the deal was his mistake. Metro Director Alan Gibbs resigned on February 23 as
22451-419: Was awarded to the joint venture of Guy F. Atkinson Construction and Dillingham Construction in late September for $ 44.16 million, beating seven competing bids with an estimate far lower than the approximately $ 61 million predicted by Metro engineers. The contract for the dual-mode trolleybuses was awarded by the Metro Council to Breda Costruzioni Ferroviarie in October, consisting of an order for 236 buses at
22608-515: Was better received than alternative concepts. The proposal gained further support from Metro Transit in its long-term "Metro 1990" plan, adopted in 1981, as a transit mall or tunnel under 3rd Avenue carrying buses that could be converted for a light rail system. The Puget Sound Council of Governments (PSCOG), a regional planning agency, endorsed Metro Transit's proposal and integrated the tunnel into its proposed light rail line connecting Seattle to Snohomish County . The Metro Transit Committee debated
22765-787: Was built for 11 miles of track for the Union Passenger Railway in Tallahassee, Florida, in 1888. Electric streetcars could carry heavier passenger loads than predecessors, which reduced fares and stimulated greater transit use. Two years after the Richmond success, over thirty two thousand electric streetcars were operating in America. Electric streetcars also paved the way for the first subway system in America. Before electric streetcars, steam powered subways were considered. However, most people believed that riders would avoid
22922-486: Was built using the cut-and-cover method, closing Pine Street for 19 months and disrupting access to the retail core. The segment from Westlake to the International District was bored with two tunnel-boring machines , heading north from Union Station and finishing within a month of each other. Tests of normal buses and the Breda dual-mode buses built specifically for tunnel routes began in March 1989; tunnel construction
23079-472: Was declared complete in June 1990, at a cost of $ 469 million. Light rail tracks were installed in anticipation of future rapid transit service through the tunnel, but were later found to be poorly insulated and unusable for Link light rail. Soft openings and public previews of the five tunnel stations were held from August 1989 to September 1990, with regular bus service beginning on September 15, carrying 28,000 daily passengers in its first year of operation. For
23236-518: Was expected not to be acted upon for at least 15 years, gained little support, and was called a project of "purely academic interest" by Mayor Hugh M. Caldwell , who doubted that any rapid transit proposal would be seriously considered during his term. The Seattle City Planning Commission proposed its own rapid transit system in 1926, centered on an elevated line over Western Avenue with a possible parallel subway under 3rd Avenue from Yesler Way to Pike Street. The Seattle Traffic Research Commission published
23393-412: Was finished on June 7, 1990, leaving Metro to test safety systems and train personnel for regular service to begin in September. The initial cost of the tunnel project was estimated in 1984 to be $ 334.6 million, but the final costs rose 56% over budget to a total of $ 468.7 million (equivalent to $ 1.09 billion in 2023 dollars); the project's cost overruns were blamed on unanticipated soil conditions on
23550-666: Was introduced to London in July 1829. The first passenger horse-drawn vehicle opened in 1806. It ran along the Swansea and Mumbles Railway . In 1825 George Stephenson built the Locomotion No 1 for the Stockton and Darlington Railway in northeast England, the first public steam railway in the world. The world's first steam-powered underground railway opened in London in 1863. The first successful electric streetcar
23707-399: Was later deemed too costly and risky in 2000, and later dropped in favor of alternative options crossing the Montlake Cut . Due to many missteps, Sound Transit shortened the line in 2001 from the original 21 miles (34 km) to 14 miles (23 km), truncating the line to Downtown Seattle . In 2004, Sound Transit selected a route for tunneled light rail extensions through Capitol Hill and
23864-404: Was originally proposed in the 1996 Sound Move measure, with plans to open a line from Seattle–Tacoma International Airport to the University District in 2006. However, Sound Transit in the 1990s was plagued with continually escalating costs, include an agreement with the University of Washington to install dampeners on the rails that run under the science buildings, air cushions to tables in
24021-411: Was preceded by soft openings of each individual station, beginning with Westlake station in August 1989, and ending with Convention Place station the day before the beginning of service. A ceremonial walk and run was held on September 9, 1990, and attracted 5,000 participants. In its first year of operations, the bus tunnel carried 28,000 daily passengers on 688 scheduled bus trips. The tunnel reduced
24178-480: Was renumbered from 226 to 550. To operate buses in the tunnel, Sound Transit leased 20 dual-mode buses from Metro, repainted them in the agency's colors, and contracted with Metro to operate the route along with other Sound Transit Express routes in King County. From the outset, the bus tunnel was intended to be converted for light rail trains at some point in the future. Metro approved the addition of tracks to
24335-418: Was stopped in early January 1988, when a pocket of wet sand was encountered 300 feet (91 m) before the planned 90-degree turn onto Pine Street. Metro and tunnel contractors Atkinson /Dillingham, who had scheduled tunnel excavation for completion in mid-January, closed 3rd Avenue between Pike and Pine streets and installed 40 drilled wells to remove water from the sand pocket in February. Digging resumed on
24492-448: Was to be removed in the tunnel's renovation for light rail; 59 of the dual-mode Breda coaches were converted into fully electric trolleybuses between 2004 and 2007 and moved to surface routes, where they continued to operate for more than a decade before being fully replaced in 2016. The New Flyer low-floor , 61-foot-long (19 m) articulated buses feature a "hush mode" that allowed buses to operate solely on stored electric power within
24649-517: Was unaware that Verde Fontaine was only quarried in South Africa. The granite's origin was discovered by an activist from the Black Contractors Coalition in late 1988, who notified Metro and members of the Metro Council. Metro determined that replacing the 24,000 square feet (2,200 m) of granite would cost $ 500,000 and delay both stations but would not delay the planned 1990 opening and would be covered by contingency funds in
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