Yes, you are seeing regular trolleys on new Hilltop line. But don’t try to catch a ride
Construction is now finished on Sound Transit’s new trolley line on Tacoma’s Hilltop, and it began regular operation Thursday morning. Good luck catching a ride.
While cars are indeed running on the 2.4-mile Link extension, they are in a simulated service mode for testing purposes until the T Line opens for passengers in late August or early September. That means you won’t see any riders rolling past Tacoma General Hospital or Stadium High School.
The $282 million project comes in $65 million over budget and a year late. On Thursday, the entire line will be running late.
Due to testing, trains that usually run every 12 minutes midday are now running every 20 minutes. Sound Transit said the delays will last at least through the weekend.
“Frequencies are expected to improve next week,” Sound Transit said in a release.
Drivers along the route, which climbs Stadium Way, turns onto North 1st Street, Division Avenue and then finally onto Martin Luther King Jr. Way, have not been accustomed to driving alongside trolleys. Sound Transit is asking drivers to be alert for the new service, said agency spokesperson David Jackson.
Passengers can still ride on the two decade old original route from the Tacoma Dome Station, but they’ll need to exit the trolleys at the Commerce Street (Theater District) station. That is one station south of the line’s current end. That station is being relocated from South 8th Street further north toward Old City Hall.
In addition to the relocated station, the Hilltop Extension adds six new stations. When finished, the total line will be roughly four miles long.
Construction began in November 2018 and was planned to be completed in May 2022. Supply problems and additional underground utility work pushed back the start date and added millions to the project.
This story was originally published July 13, 2023 at 11:21 AM.
