Seattle’s 'Ram's Horn' Tracks Finally Straightened
After years of litigation and civic headache, the city moves to eliminate the dangerous and obstructive curving rail path known as the 'Ram's Horn' between Yesler Way and Union Street.
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The long struggle over the 'ram's horn' right-of-way between Yesler Avenue and Union Street has at last been settled. Property owners had long contended that the tracks—owned jointly by the Columbia & Puget Sound and Northern Pacific—damaged local land values and obstructed development. The compromise ordinance grants the companies the right to lay two tracks in a straight line along the eastern side of Railroad Avenue, provided they permanently surrender the curving, obstructive 'ram's horn' route. This move saves the city from costly future regrading projects and potential lawsuits from property owners whose buildings were threatened by the old path. Most involved parties have signed on, though the city is being asked to contribute funds to compensate the Lake Shore railroad for depot ground loss, effectively clearing the waterfront for modern transit.
“The long struggle over the famous ram's horn right-of-way between Yesler avenue and Union street has at last been amicably settled.”
This civic fight over rail lines and waterfront access marks the early shaping of Seattle's downtown core, a precursor to modern debates over how transit infrastructure dictates urban development.
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