THE ELECTRIFICATION OF ROUTE 70: THE COMMUNITY PROCESS, DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF A TROLLEY ROUTE IN SEATTLE, WASHINGTON

The electrification of Route 70 is the first major trolley expansion project in more than 15 years for Metro Transit, the transit agency for Seattle and King County in Washington state. Metro Transit currently operates 13 trolley routes in Seattle on 55 two-way miles of trolley overhead wire. The last major expansion of the trolley bus system was during the rehabilitation of the existing electric trolley bus system in Seattle in the late 1970's. The Route 70 electrification will add six miles of trolley overhead wire and three substations to the trolley system. Planning, designing and constructing a trolley project is a very complex process that involves many factors; technical, environmental, social and community and aesthetic. Due to considerable attention to this issue, the project has been a success. This information may be useful to other transit agencies that are proceeding with or evaluating the electrification of a bus route. Designing and constructing a trolley route is more difficult now than in the past. Communities are very concerned with aesthetics and many oppose the electrification of routes mainly because of the visual impacts associated with the trolley overhead wire. The design of the Route 70 was done closely with community groups. Effort was made to minimize the impacts of the trolley overhead wire and reduce the number of poles placed on the sidewalks.

• Corporate Authors:

  American Public Transportation Association

  1201 New York Avenue, NW
  Washington, DC    20005
• Authors:
  • Tull, A F
• Conference:
  • Proceedings of the 1997 APTA Bus Operations, Technology & Management Conference
  • Location: Miami, Florida
  • Date: 1997-5-4 to 1997-5-7
• Publication Date: 1997-5

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: Figures;
• Pagination: p. 189-195

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Aesthetics; Communities; Design; Electric wire; Environmental impacts; Expansion; Planning; Public relations; Railroad electrification; Trolleybuses; Wire
• Uncontrolled Terms: Visual
• Subject Areas: Design; Environment; Highways; Planning and Forecasting; Public Transportation; Railroads; Vehicles and Equipment; I21: Planning of Transport Infrastructure;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00740365
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Sep 18 1997 12:00AM