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A train every 3.5 minutes on Capitol Hill

We recently posted about the possibility that Broadway will have a streetcar by 2012. When Scott from Central District News shared the scoop with us, he also included some interesting thoughts about the future of transit on Capitol Hill. Not long after 2020, the Hill is going to be the public transit capital of the city.

Capitol Hill will be connected to three major rail projects

Here’s how Scott says they all might fit together:

 

Once the new Sound Transit additions are finished in 2020 or whenever, there will be two lines running.  The cool thing is that the new route to the eastside doesn’t just go to downtown Seattle.  They keep going all the way north to Lynnwood.  That basically doubles the light rail service that you’ll see on the hill:

Route 1: Lynwood to Federal Way – every 7 minutes peak, 10 minutes off-peak*
Route 2: Microsoft to Lynwood (via I-90) – every 7 minutes peak, 10 minutes off-peak
What that means for you lucky folks on the hill:
Every 3.5 minutes there will be a train coming through at peak times to take you either north to the UW, Northgate, or Lynnwood
Every 3.5 minutes there will be a train coming through at peak times that will take you at least as far south as the International District. 
Every 7 minutes there will be a train coming through at peak times that will take you from Capitol Hill to Bellevue or Microsoft, without any transfers.
Every 7 minutes there will be a train coming through at peak times that will take you to SeaTac
The trip north to the UW will take only 3 minutes.
* = Off-peak trains will only go as far north as Northgate.  i.e., if you’re going from the airport to Lynwood, you’ll have to transfer to a different train once you get to Northgate
Full details here:

Our current situation isn’t that bad if you don’t mind buses — so it’s not quite famine or feast. But the future of Capitol Hill transit definitely looks like a feast.

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final answer
final answer
15 years ago

I understand how it’s possible, but it still blows my mind that it will take 3 (3!) minutes to get between the hill and UW. What else takes 3 minutes? Making toast?

jseattle
jseattle
15 years ago

Choosing which CHS shirt I’m going to wear today

newsaholic
newsaholic
15 years ago

As a Capitol Hill resident, I’m thrilled we’ll have such excellent service there. However, the Hill won’t be the capitol of public transportation in Seattle. That title will go to Westlake Station and IDS / King Street Station.