Seattle Department of Transportation 2019 ANNUAL STREETCAR OPERATING REPORT September 2020 CONTENTS 1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .........................................................................................3 2. INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................5 2.1. Ordinance 124946 ................................................................................5 2.2. South Lake Union Streetcar .................................................................5 2.3. First Hill Streetcar ...............................................................................7 2.4. Center City Connector .........................................................................7 3. FINANCIAL METRICS ...........................................................................................8 3.1. Operations & Maintenance costs .........................................................8 3.2. Revenue ................................................................................................8 3.3. Investment in Streetcar Operations ....................................................8 4. PERFORMANCE METRICS ..................................................................................12 4.1. Ridership ............................................................................................12 4.2. Reliability............................................................................................13 4.3. Productivity ........................................................................................14 4.4. Proposed Operations Improvements .................................................14 5. OPERATIONS HIGHLIGHTS ................................................................................17 5.1. Governance Structure and Budget Overview ....................................17 5.2. Safety & Security Update ...................................................................17 5.2.1. Changes to Streetcar Safety Management ........................................18 Table 1 - Projected Streetcar Balances and Investment Per Rider .............................................................9 Table 2 - First Hill Streetcar Financials ..................................................................................................... 11 Table 3 - South Lake Union Streetcar Financials ....................................................................................... 11 Table 4 - First Hill Streetcar Performance ................................................................................................. 15 Table 5 - South Lake Union Streetcar Performance .................................................................................. 15 Table 6 - Proposed Operations Improvements ........................................................................................... 16 Figure 1 - Seattle Streetcar System Map .....................................................................................................6 Figure 2 - Seattle Streetcar Ridership (NTD Reported) 2015-2019 ........................................................... 12 Figure 3 - On-Time Performance 2008-2019 ............................................................................................. 13 1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This report reflects 2019 performance and Fare revenue grew in 2019 on both lines financial metrics and does not capture the ORCA fare revenue, the primary source of fare significant changes in ridership and operating revenue for the Seattle Streetcar, grew in 2019 status resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. by approximately 18%, or $252,000 systemwide. Those changes will be described in the 2020 This was driven by increases on both the SLU Operations Report. and FHS lines. ORCA revenue increased by 10% ($62,000) on SLU and by 24% ($190,000) on FHS The Seattle Streetcar system consists of two in 2019. This increase in revenue appears to be separate, modern streetcar lines: the South Lake driven in large part by a commensurate increase Union Streetcar (SLU), which opened in 2007, in ORCA usage. ORCA taps on SLU and FHS and the First Hill Streetcar (FHS), which opened increased by 10% and 22%, respectively in 2019, in 2016. The system is owned and funded by the outpacing ridership gains. Increased ORCA usage City of Seattle, which partners with King County is likely due to many factors, which could include Metro to serve as the operator of the system on increased ORCA distribution through employers the City’s behalf. or transit agency programs. Highlights from 2019 include: City and County executed a new 5-year agreement for streetcar operations and Systemwide ridership continued to grow in 2019, maintenance driven by First Hill Streetcar A year of cooperative negotiation between the City In 2019, ridership on the Seattle Streetcar of Seattle and King County culminated in 2019 continued to grow, exceeding 2018 ridership by with the execution of a new Interlocal Agreement 11%, or 182,000 riders. As in previous years, (ILA) for the operations and maintenance of the this growth was driven by substantial ridership Seattle Streetcar. The new agreement replaces growth on the FHS line, which exceeded 2018 the expiring 2014 ILA and includes a number of ridership by 17%, or 193,000 riders. Ridership improvements to the City-County relationship, on the SLU line continued trends from previous including improved budgeting and invoicing years, remaining relatively flat, declining 2%, or procedures and more efficient maintenance 10,000 riders from 2018. by consolidating previously City-performed maintenance functions with King County. 2019 ANNUAL STREETCAR OPERATING REPORT | 3 SDOT Streetcar Operations staff prepared to SDOT continued work on spot improvement implement new federal safety requirements projects to improve safety and reliability 2019 saw new changes to federal requirements SDOT’s transit spot improvements program governing rail safety oversight. These changes advanced work on several spot improvements require SDOT to assume new responsibilities in to increase safety for bicyclists around streetcar managing and planning streetcar safety; most tracks and to reduce congestion and streetcar notably, developing a Public Transportation travel time and increase reliability. Notable Agency Safety Plan (PTASP). The new PTASP projects included delineation of the streetcar-only will work in conjunction with a similar plan lane on northbound Terry Avenue between Thomas from King County Metro and will be based on a and Mercer Streets, as well as signage, street Safety Management System (SMS) philosophy in markings, and relocationof a bus zone along Yesler accordance with the new federal requirements. Way between Broadway and 14th Ave. Under the new requirements, SDOT was required to certify that it has adopted a PTASP by July 20, 2020. SDOT met this requirement in July 2020. 4 | SEATTLE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 2. INTRODUCTION 2.1. ORDINANCE 124946 The Seattle Streetcar system consists of two Ordinance 124946 requires the Seattle separate, modern streetcar lines: the South Lake Department of Transportation (SDOT) to submit a Union Streetcar (SLU) and the First Hill Streetcar report to the Chair of City Council’s Sustainability (FHS). A project to expand and unify the system and Transportation Committee (now City Council’s by connecting these two separate lines along Transportation and Utilities Committee) at least First Avenue and Stewart Street, the Center City bi-annually on the operations of all operating Connector, is currently paused. streetcar lines. This requirement has been in place since December 2015. Figure 1 shows the South Lake Union and First Hill Streetcar segment alignments along with the Ordinance 124946 states: Center City Connector. “The report shall include both performance metrics 2.2. SOUTH LAKE UNION STREETCAR and financial metrics; and will include data for the past The South Lake Union (SLU) Streetcar was 5 years, estimates for the current year, and projections approved by the City Council in 2005 in for the next 5 years. Performance metrics shall include response to efforts to develop the South Lake ridership, farebox recovery ratio, productivity (riders Union neighborhood into a biotechnology and per revenue hour), fare evasion, and reliability. Financial biomedical research hub. The $56.4 million line metrics shall include costs, including operating was funded nearly 50% by property owners along payments to King County, SDOT direct costs and the alignment, via a capital Local Improvement contingency, and major maintenance expenditures; District, and the remainder by federal, state, and revenues, including farebox recovery, sponsorships and local funds. donations, grants and intergovernmental revenues; and actual use of funds from the Consolidated (Residual) The SLU line is 1.3 miles long and operates Cash Pool*1 for interim financing. Financial reporting through mixed traffic. The line is served by a fleet shall identify variances from financial projections of four Inekon vehicles operating in mixed right included in the Adopted Budget. The report shall of way and powered exclusively by an overhead include a narrative to describe any significant or contact system (OCS). SLU operates an average operational policy changes and explain any significant 10- to 15-minute service frequency most hours of variation from budgeted projections. SDOT may the day it operates, seven days a week. adjust the performance and financial metrics with the written