Good Evening,
I wish to inform my partners in preservation on this forum about a need for input and support that is quite easy to do. The purpose is not less than the meaningful existence of the Yakima Valley Trolleys operation of the City of Yakima, WA, route to Selah, WA, which is in fact the last remaining interurban line in the West (Please scroll down).

A Brief Background

The Yakima Valley Transportation Co., a division of the Union Pacific, was in operation until folding doors and handing the controller handles to the City of Yakima in 1985. At this time, a group who had brought two Oporto single truck cars had been running over the Yakima interurban lines for about 8 years. In the years that followed, over 80% of the tracks were removed, wire was pulled, and land was sold or incorporated into city streets, while the heritage operation continued on with the core parts that made sense. This includes a short line on Pine Street out of the historic car house, and a branch up North 6th Street which crossed to the short but scenic Selah line. On the south end is a powerhouse and multi-purpose carbarn that date to the earliest days. Belt driven machinery, wooden shop floors, and a various purpose-oriented spaces are all present. An incredibly high percentage of surviving original equipment still call this rail line their home.

Into the 2000's the issues became increasingly hard to manage on the line, with a loss of trolley wire and feeders over the north end track to vandals, loss of wire to garbage trucks, rough track conditions, a bridge that needed repair, and more. If a trolley could make it to Selah today (although a railroad crossing was recently removed), it would only be with the generator in tow. Gladly, the City of Yakima has made a commitment to repair tracks and facilities which are most critical. The Yakima Valley Trolleys group is dedicated to preserving this artifact and is in the process of gaining national register of historic places status. Together the historic collection and facility can survive as an occasionally operating demonstration of history.

It is an expensive undertaking, and currently the City and its consultant are looking at options on how to address poor roadway conditions and restore 6th street to a good use for the community. Three alternatives have been presented, two of which feature tracks. Perhaps other alternatives are possible, and perhaps the vision of what it is to be, can have some adjustment. Regardless, preserving the Selah interurban line, the last in in the the West, is an important goal I hope that lasts through the process.

And to be clear, the Yakima area is one of the most economically challenged in the State of Washington. The side effects are present, and hope and vision and funding and dedication to improvement are critical to making the center of a generally depressed apple economy become something else. There are many wonderful things about Yakima as well.

A Call for Action

Here is where I am connecting with you to help make a change. You may not know much about the town or community or rail equipment, but you may know about similar situations and how they turned out well. Preserving and adapting and converting what is the present to another situation when the going is rough... has been done in many city lines and many heritage tourist lines with a scenic view. Please think of some of these changes which may seem to adapt to this situation. If you see options for the future, different than what was proposed by the consultant, please bring those to the table! If one of the consultant's visions really works for you, please support it! If you simply want to say how valuable the preservation of YVT, one of the last surviving North American interurbans and probably the best remaining example, is in the field of railroad preservation, please say so! There are many ways to contribute ideas and concerns from the national community of railroad heritage experts.

The links to the project and call for feedback are found below. Thank you.

10 minute survey and other information:
https://www.yakimawa.gov/media/points-of-interest/6th-ave-rebuild-rail-renovation-survey/

Project overall description and points of interest:
https://www.yakimawa.gov/media/points-of-interest/6th-ave-rebuild-and-rail-renovation/

A YVT (volunteer group) website has been created to support options which promote preserving the line to Selah and 6h Street trackage. Evaluation of the three options offered initially by the City are provided here.

Also provided are links to the powers that be if you have specific comments about how this might evolve in a positive light. The routes of existing transit lines are interesting when you look at the trolley route.

https://www.savethetrolleys.com

I am missing context.

What is the prevailing mood of the citizens and Yakima government to keep the trolley tracks?

Thank you.


~Wesley

Sorry for the late reply.
Yes. That is exactly the question. What is the mood of the citizens and the City government.

For years, the City has taken a position that the historic trolley is a valuable attraction and unique representation of the town. About 10-15 years ago, a downtown revitalization plan was developed and the trolley was to be a star attraction with proposed service restoration on Yakima Ave (east west street) going east from 6th St.

Nothing trolley related of this proposal seems to have been implemented. It included conceptual cross-sections of attractive center median operation.

The piecemeal degradation of the lines in the City is a result of ongoing decay, few resources and skilled staff to repair overhead lines, ongoing theft, ongoing accidents followed up with demolition of wire as a repair solution, and so on. The City has stepped up and replaced track near the high school renovation and the severely degraded Fruitdale crossing. There are plenty of other issues. To preserve the trolley in a historic operation, a greater level of commitment to the capital facilities is evident. Thus the 6th street reconstruction project.

Because an option to not include the tracks is being considered, it is clear to me that some valuing of the heritage streetcar and interurban line is needed. If federal funds were used, the impact on Cultural Heritage would be evident. Of course, we have seen how so many times these are answered with a nice display board along the former site of something interesting. I hope it does not come to that!

To me, there are perhaps three other design considerations for this 3rd to 6th street west of the main RR tracks corridor, and there are economic planning and community development considerations. Transit and traffic are a factor, but with the advanced development of 5th street, perhaps the impact of REDUCED roadway access on 6th street (while preserving the trolley line in its center median) would be possible and even beneficial for residential or commercial operations.

The only place where traffic on 6th is really critical is north of Fruitdale or the block north of that, where buses travel and large trucks hauling apple boxes are mixing with trolley traffic.

There have to be ways to manage parking, road construction, trolley wire height, and trolley track isolation that make this part of the line safer for the trolley until it hits the "side of the road" operation.

But what does the community think? Or the City? Or the apple warehouses? I do not know, actually. I hope this survey works to find that information out.

O.

Here are some articles and TV pieces for more info:
https://www.yakimaherald.com/news/local/government/city-project-would-bring-changes-to-sixth-avenue-in-yakima/article_001fa856-777e-11ef-ac30-cbe6f1b1b2b4.html
https://www.nbcrightnow.com/news/yakima-valley-trolleys-at-risk-amid-sixth-avenue-renovation-proposals/article_e25c18c4-7636-11ef-a265-cb748281a947.html
https://kimatv.com/news/local/6th-avenue-rail-renovations-open-for-comment-from-the-public
https://www.yakimaherald.com/opinion/letter-yakimas-trolley-turnaround-is-a-shocking-switchback/article_f27f4080-7615-11ef-b78b-e3e88641090d.html

As a side comment, because of the economic state of Yakima County, there are numerous no interest loans and grant opportunities for funds in the millions of dollars. The work could be done and boost the local economy while achieving an important goal. A way to preserve the asset of the trolley line would honor the ancestors, and the gift of the Union Pacific Railroad to the city. Perhaps the UP RR can provide educational support funds as well. I am sure the city has benefited economically by reducing the formerly sprawling system over the years. I do not think downgrading it further would be a long-term benefit compared to reinvesting in it by using, in part, other peoples' money.