This morning, the Council's Transportation Committee approved (3-0) and sent to the full Council an ordinance that accepts $65,000 from South Lake Union employers who want to "buy" more operating hours for the South Lake Union Streetcar during the afternoon/early evening commute.
What was most surprising to me in this morning's briefing was the surge in ridership. Average weekly ridership soared 43.6% to 2,471 this month compared to 1,720 in May 2010. Ridership averaged 1,404 per week in May 2009. But there's more. So far in 2010, the average number of riders per hour on the streetcar is 46.6. The same measure of ridership on nearby trolley bus routes is 48 riders per hour.
You can watch this morning's Transportation Committee meeting here.