On December 12, the Seattle Streetcar began servicing its 2.6-mile loop, connecting the growing South Lake Union neighborhood with the Denny Triangle and downtown.

Though buses serve parts of that area, the streetcar creates a mostly-new route for travelers. And it shares the road with bikes, cars and buses, without requiring a separate tunnel or track.

"Streetcars can serve dense neighborhoods the way buses can, but they're cleaner and quieter, and a little more comfortable to ride," says Project Manager Ethan Melone.

The Streetcar also boasts these green features:

Electric Power

Seattle City Light's clean power makes the streetcars less polluting than buses, which can produce hefty emissions (especially during off-peak travel).

Regenerative Brakes

Instead of using friction--which wastes fuel energy--to slow down and stop, the streetcars reverse their electric motors, generating electricity that returns to the grid.

Green Facility Features

The streetcars' maintenance facility (at Fairview and Harrrison) has a green roof. And both the maintenance yard and the sidewalk connecting the tracks with Lake Union Park are made of pervious material. All three help prevent stormwater runoff from polluting nearby waterways. 

Melone says the streetcars have carried 3,000 passengers each day--more than three times what planners predicted (though the predictions were made when South Lake Union was less developed). Some climb aboard at commute time, but many use the streetcars for trips they wouldn't make before, like downtown workers lunching on Lake Union.

"If we're going to develop South Lake Union, we need to get people to and from the area," says Melone. "The Seattle Streetcar is an example of land use, economics, transportation and environmental policy all working together." 

Want to try it for yourself? Passengers ride free through December 31, 2007. Learn more about the Seattle Streetcar, including schedules, on its website.