While we await word on whether or not King County Metro will cut bus service here in Fremont, there is news about a proposed streetcar service in the works that would come through the neighborhood.
The city’s new Transit Master Plan picks four transit corridors as ripe for investment in streetcars or bus rapid transit (like Metro’s new Rapid Ride Line). A streetcar line from Loyal Heights to downtown, via Ballard and Fremont, would best serve a high demand for transit in that corridor, according to the report.
According to the plan, a Ballard streetcar line would cost about $327 million to build, including a new rail bridge across the ship canal (which would cost about $70 million) and a retrofitting of the Fremont Bridge (which would cost $10 to $12 million).
Based on the map, it looks like the proposed rail line would run up and down 36th Street en route to Ballard in one direction and South Lake Union in the other.
Of course, don’t get too excited, it’ll take a while to get this up and running. The entire plan is set-up to unfold over the next 20 years.
You can check out much more details on the plan via this PDF link. A draft of the full report will be presented in September.