SEATTLE — City officials said Seattle Streetcar service along the South Lake Union route will be suspended for several weeks because of mechanical issues.
The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) said in a release Tuesday that crews will be addressing mechanical issues with two substations that power the streetcar. There is no estimate for how long the repairs will take, SDOT said in the release.
King County Metro’s electrical vendor identified worn-out control units that manage the high-voltage breakers at one substation in July. According to SDOT, the maintenance team began its search to obtain specialized replacement parts that are not readily available in North America.
As a result, Seattle Streetcar service was temporarily scaled back to reduce the power load on the remaining substation. Service failed at the remaining substation on Friday, however, forcing SDOT to suspend all streetcars in South Lake Union until further notice.
King County Metro said the public can take Route 40, Route 70, or the RapidRide C Line instead as crews work to restore streetcar service along South Lake Union.
Apologies for the delay. Councilmember Rob sent a statement Wednesday in response to the streetcar service's suspension.
"Today’s news about the South Lake Union Streetcar forces a discussion that I think we need to have at the City about our transit investments," Saka said in the statement. "The streetcar is just one area I'll be looking to closely scrutinize, especially through the lens of Transportation Committee Chair. Seattle needs to reexamine our services to better optimize transit investments for areas with greater need and impact. Ensuring reliable, efficient and affordable transportation options for Seattle residents will continue to be a key priority of mine. I hope to share more about this work and how to move forward in the coming weeks."
The South Lake Union line opened for service in 2007 and was the first segment of the Seattle Streetcar. The line connected the South Lake Union neighborhood to Seattle's downtown core, consisting of 1.3 miles, seven stops, and full of shops and restaurants and Lake Union's 12-acre waterfront park. The South Lake Union line also connected to other public transit systems such as the Link light rail, Monorail, and Metro Transit.
Before the outage, Seattle Streetcar service operated seven days a week. A streetcar was available every 12-15 minutes depending on the day.