Friday Roundtable: Ghost Bridges, Spooky Stops, and Haunted Wires

Tucked along the roaring edge of I-5, just north of the Ship Canal Bridge, sits an island platform with a Metro bus stop sign with spots for 18 routes. Yet, no buses will stop at this platform today. Or tomorrow. Only two Route 512 trips each week stop here. This platform is the northbound University District Freeway Station at I-5 & NE 45th Street. Once a busy hub where riders braved the highway pollution to catch busses to destinations as far north as Everett, it now sits empty. The stop is a reminder of a different era in Seattle's transit network, when freeway buses shuttled thousands of people in and out of downtown Seattle every day. Due to the numerous Link extensions and frequent changes in Metro's network, hints of a previous transit network are scattered around Seattle. (Click on images for full size.)

University District Freeway Station sits empty. (Screenshot from Apple Maps)

Any discussion of transit history in Seattle has to mention the Queen Anne Counterbalance, George Benson Streetcar, and buses running in the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel (DSTT). These three relics are significant and require dedicated articles. Instead, let's focus on the smaller, forgotten infrastructure.

Ghost BridgesOverpass on Lake Washington Blvd.

Travelers on Lake Washington Blvd in Leschi may be surprised to encounter a bridge with a low 8 foot, 3 inch clearance. With no roads on either end of the bridge, is it a bridge for ghosts? Instead of ghosts, this bridge was built for the Lake Washington Cable Railway (a.k.a Seattle City Railway) which ran between Pioneer Square and Lake Washington from 1888 to 1940. A wooden trestle spanned about 500 feet from Yesler Way & 32nd Ave to Lake Washington Blvd. The overpass was built in 1912 to support the trestle over the road. While the path of the cable car is now roughly served by Route 27, this bridge remains as a reminder of the City's transit history.

Two cable cars near the overpass.(UW Library)The 500ft trestle between 32nd Ave and Lake Washington Blvd. (MOHAI)A dirt path crosses the bridge today.Spooky Stops

Along the tree-lined Seward Park Ave S in Rainier Beach sits a colorful bench facing the road. From here, one can sit in the shade and watch cars and bikes pass by. Despite the faded red and yellow markings on the curb, no buses will will be stopping here. This stop, located just south of S Cloverdale Place, used to serve Metro routes 34 and 39. Beginning in the 1940's, Route 39 ran between downtown Seattle and Rainier Beachh via SODO, Beacon Hill, and Seward Park. Between 1988 and 2004, the route continued south from Rainier Beach to Southcenter. In 2009, Route 39 stopped serving this stop when it was rerouted to terminate at newly opened Othello Station. Route 50 replaced Route 39 in 2012. Route 34 operated as an express version of Route 39 between 2004 and 2012. Instead of traveling through Beacon Hill and SODO, Route 34 took Rainier Ave and Dearborn St between downtown and Columbia City.

The now abandoned bus stop at Seward Park Ave S & S Cloverdale Pl. Notice the faded yellow paint on the closer end of the curb.Haunted Wires

Keen observers in downtown Seattle might notice overhead trolleybus wires on 1st Ave and 3rd Ave. On 3rd Ave, electric trolleybuses (ETB) from routes 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 13, 14, 36, and 70 can be seen every few minutes (some of these routes are running non-ETBs due to construction). Meanwhile, the overhead wires on 1st Ave sit unused. Routes 10 and 12 were interlined via 1st Ave until the early 2010's. These routes ran on 1st Ave between Pine St and Marion St. However, the overhead wires extend as far south as Jackson St, where they connect to the wires used by routes 7, 14, and 36. I have not found any maps or schedules for a route that ran on 1st Ave between Marion St and Jackson St. However, during the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel (DSTT) construction in the late 1980's, all 3rd Ave buses were moved to 1st Ave. During this time, these wires would have been used by the same ETB routes that run on 3rd Ave today. Perhaps they will be used by another route soon.

In Rainier Beach, an unused ETB wire loop eerily hangs around the northbound Route 7 stop at S Rose Street. Part of this loop is above a now closed cut-through between Wabash Ave S and Rainier Ave S. Despite the bollards in the middle of the road, the cut-through is flanked by a Stop sign and a Do Not Enter Except Buses sign. This loop was the southern terminus for Route 9 between 1987 and 1999. In 1999, Route 9 was extended to terminate on S Henderson St, along with Route 7.

The Rose St wire loop remains over a closed cut-through street.

When trick-or-treating tonight, or next time you are walking around your neighborhood, keep an eye out for remnants of Seattle's transit history. Happy Halloween from the Seattle Transit Blog!