A streetcar route connecting the heart of Ballard with Fremont and downtown is one of four "promising" trolley routes the Department of Transportation is unveiling this week to spur off the South Lake Union line.

The Ballard/Fremont streetcar line would journey 4.4-miles down the center of Westlake, cross the Fremont Bridge, wind its way through Fremont and travel up either Leary Avenue Northwest or Ballard Avenue before it crossed Market Street on 22nd Avenue Northwest and ending in front of the Ballard Library.

In a few different scenarios, the streetcar could run on two to four blocks of Ballard Avenue before veering off to 22nd, said Shaunie Cochran, senior construction engineer for Seattle Public Utilities.

There would be no more than two stops on the historic street, one in the vicinity of Ione Place and another on 17th Avenue Northwest.

The route from Fremont to Ballard is still uncertain. The city is considering building tracks along North 36th Street, up Leary Way Northwest and possibly under the Ballard Bridge on Northwest 46th Street before either continuing up Leary or Ballard Avenue.

The estimated cost for the construction of the route is between $29 to $32 million per mile, said Ethan Melone, who's heading the streetcar concept plan for the transportation department.

Cochran gave a brief presentation of the proposal last week to the Ballard Avenue Landmark District Board, a citizens' board charged with maintaining the historic integrity of the street. Part of the proposed route could be located on the historic street, so the city is seeking the board's approval.

A streetcar is consistent with the historic use of the avenue. Photographs of a trolley on Ballard Avenue date back as early as the late 1890s to at least 1940. Trackless trolleys and buses replaced streetcars on the Seattle Transit System in 1941, according to historylink.org, an online encyclopedia of the state's history.

"Essentially its time there followed the time Ballard Avenue spent as the main business district for Ballard," said Heather McAuliffe, coordinator of the landmark board. "When the focus shifted to Market Street, so did the transportation ..."

Board members seemed generally supportive of a streetcar on Ballard Avenue. Chair Elaine Wine said she was "excited" about the idea.

But some property owners expressed concern about the potential impacts to their business that comes with a streetcar line. One man, who said he's a Ballard Avenue business owner, wants the city to call a meeting with all of the property owners before they move forward.

Cochran said the next step was to further engage the community and reminded the board that no formal reviews had yet been done.

"This is so early," she said. "We are really just coming to you with concepts."

Cochran said that while there is an initial negative impact during construction, streetcars have been shown to boost the economic vitality of an area because it makes a neighborhood more accessible and reduces the number of vehicles coming in.

"Everyplace they've gone into the businesses have boomed," said Cochran. "Streetcars are meant to be integrated into pedestrian-oriented areas" like Ballard Avenue.

Wherever possible, the trolley would operate with center platforms so as not to conflict with bike lanes, though it would share road lanes with other traffic. Some parking, about four to six spaces, would have to be removed at intersections on Ballard Avenue and a few spots at the end of the line at the intersection of 22nd Avenue Northwest and Northwest 57th Street.

Service times would run about every 15 minutes. The city would own the line and King County Metro Transit would operate it. The earliest a route here could be up and running is at least four years, said Cochran.

Seattle City Council members have been discussing a possible streetcar network that would better connect neighborhoods and in February lifted a proviso on budget funds that would help the transportation department study the next likely routes.

The other three routes being considered include the First Avenue corridor, a trolley that travels up Eastlake to the University of Washington and another in Capitol Hill with a connection to the International District.

Much like how the $52 million South Lake Union line was paid for, a Local Improvement District will likely be a major funding source, said Melone. That's when property owners tax themselves to share in the cost of transportation infrastructure improvements.

The preliminary plans attempt to fill in transit gaps in areas of the city where density is increasing, yet may not have its needs met by bus service alone. But council member Nick Licata is skeptical that a streetcar network is the answer.

In February, Licata sponsored an amendment to the streetcar concept plan that would include "measurable goals" that a trolley network would meet the city's goal of 15-minute service frequency in urban villages.

Council member Tom Rasmussen wants to look at how increased bus service in the area could address needs before the city spends millions on new public transit system. He said he was not ready to give up on Metro.

Chair of the council's transportation committee, Jan Drago, said the city should employ a variety of transit modes.

"I believe that we need choices and it (streetcar network) gives us another choice," she said.

TWatch the archived meeting of the May 6 Seattle City Council Transportation Committee meeting on the Seattle Streetcar Concept at http://www.seattle.gov/council/archived_meetings.htm.

Rebekah Schilperoort may be reached at 783-1244 or rebekahs@robinsonnews.com