South Lake Union Streetcar050

Also known as the South Lake Union Trolley (and by a naughty acronym), the South Lake Union Streetcar began service at the end of 2007 and is the latest addition to the city's sadly inadequate public transportation system. The brightly-colored streetcars run a 2.6-mile route between Westlake Center and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center on Fairview Avenue N at Yale Avenue N on the southeast shore of Lake Union. Several of the route's 11 stops connect with Metro bus routes, and riders can also catch Sound Transit buses or the Monorail from Westlake Center. A route map is available on the website, although the stations are easily visible along Westlake, Terry, and Fairview. Streetcars run every 15 minutes and electronic reader boards at each station display arrival times. Fares are paid at the farebox machine located in the center of the car. Coins, one-dollar bills, and five-dollar bills are accepted by the fareboxes. Metro passes, tickets, and transfers and PugetPasses are also accepted for payment. Bicycles are permitted in the center section of the streetcars.