On Sunday, May 6th, transit enthusiast Heather McAuliffe, and Metro planner Ted Day, are hosting a bus tour of and the Georgetown Steam Plant. This event is designed to introduce new riders to transit, showing them that transit can be easy to use, and take them to interesting and fun places around the city. Everybody is welcome, including families with kids, and the only cost is bus fare for one or two Metro bus trips.
The itinerary is as follows:
- Meet at Pike Street and 4th Avenue at 1:25 p.m.
- Route 49 depart Pike/4th at 1:31 p.m., arrive Broadway/Pine at 1:38 p.m.
- Route 60 depart Broadway/Pine at 1:50 p.m., arrive Georgetown at 2:18 p.m.
- Tour steam plant for about an hour.
- Route 131 depart Georgetown at 3:26 p.m., arrive 4th/University at 3:45 p.m.
The Georgetown Steam Plant is one of Seattle’s hidden gems of industrial history. From Wikipedia:
The plant was originally built by Stone and Webster in 1906. One of the first reinforced concrete structures on the U.S. West Coast, it originally provided power for the Interurban Railway between Seattle and Tacoma; it also provided both direct current for Seattle’s streetcars and alternating current for Georgetown, then an independent city. They purchased General Electric steam turbine technology, based on patents originally held by inventor Charles Curtis. At the time, this was cutting edge technology, and the Georgetown Steam Plant “marks the beginning of the end of the reciprocating steam engine” as the dominant mode of generating electricity on a large scale.
RSVP isn’t required, but if you plan to attend, it would be helpful to say so in the comments, to get some idea of the level of interest. Please forward this to anyone you know who might enjoy such a tour — especially if they don’t currently use transit.
As always I’ll have to check with the boss, but sounds interesting.
Any reason for the 49->60 routing? Seems like the 106 or 131 would be a better choice. Are they trying to show people how to transfer? If that’s the case, then having new riders wait 12 minutes for a transfer doesn’t exactly seem like the best way to get people to support transferring.
Maybe it’s because there are lots of sights to see on the 60.
I think I’ll do it…but I’d probably meet the group at Bway & Pine as I’d be coming from the Hill anyway.
Count me in!
This sounds like a great, great idea! I would love to attend the steam plan tour, but, since i live in Georgetown, probably won’t make the bus tour (if that’s ok). Anyway, count me and 2 others in if meeting y’all at the plant is fine.
I’m putting it in my calendar as a plan for the day.
Thanks for arranging this. Wandering around, and especially to the top of the turbine was a treat. I’m putting a subset of my pictures after reducing their size into my skydrive folder if anyone would like to look at them. If you use the photos elsewhere, all that I ask is some credit.
I’m going to try to make it with my son, but won’t know until day of for sure.
Unfortuantely, it turns out that we will not be able to make it.
My husband and I will attend. We already are veterans of the transit system (we don’t have a car and use the bus to get around.) But the steam plant sounds very interesting. We’ll be there at 4th and Pike.
Sounds good, I’m in.
I wish I could make it, but please put me on your email list for future events. This would be so much fun.
Just heard that the Steamplant is closing. This may be my last chance to see it. Count me in for the tour.
One writer and two visual artists plan to be there for the ride and the tour.
One adult and two small kids. Can’t wait!
I should be there!