Seatlle's biggest SLUT

Seatlle's South Lake Union Trolley (SLUT) made it's debut last week with its goal of bringing eco-friendly transit to a city plagued by gridlock and help its image as a progressive environmental city. The line runs 1.3 miles long and stops every 2-3 blocks allowing up to 140 passengers to ride every 15 minutes.

SLUT

Although this initiative is supported, some residents question the construction budget of $50 million+ and annual operating costs of $1.7 million. Almost half of the costs were covered by local property tax through a Local Improvement District (LID) while the rest comes from federal, and state governments. If there is ridership, I'm sure it will pay off in the long run.

The city is expects 330,000 passengers in SLUT's first year with projections growing to a million+ annually. In its first month, rides are free and then rises to $1.50. It's definitely worth it considering it beats the stress of driving and busing and helps with fuel efficiency. If only the TTC was this cheap... I'm unfamiliar with the stats on TTC's streetcars, I should probably look that up.

...Just when I thought getting a Bachelor of Urban and Regional Planning (BURP) was bad.

Links:

http://www.seattlestreetcar.org/