Streetcars in DC - Ward 1 (First in a Series)

The future of America's capitol?

Reported by both the Kleiner and the Kleinette:

By now most District-residing readers will know that the DDOT has released and is strongly promoting a broad and sweeping transit plan that centers around several new streetcar lines. The streetcars will for the most part operate in mixed traffic, though the possibility of dedicated streetcar lanes still exist. This plan will be accentuated by many other mass transit programs, such as increased bus service with "premium" (read: express) buses running in dedicated lanes and an ambitious bicycle-sharing program; however, it is the streetcar program that DDOT is placing front-and-center, going as far as to hold a series of eight meetings, one in each of the District's wards.

Being the ambitious types, the Kleiner and the Kleinette plan on attending as many of these meetings as possible and issuing joint reports. We will try to report on as many of these open houses and meetings as we can. We will be issuing several reports, which we hope in spite of being incomplete will offer a broad picture of what DDOT is planning, how they are reaching out to the communities, and how those communities are reacting (at least those segments of the communities represented at these meetings). We start with Ward 1, the Kleinette's home ward; we'll continue on Friday with a report on Thursday's meeting in Ward 7.

What took us both by surprise was the format, not a lecture but an open forum of charts, informational packets, and representatives ready to proffer information and answer questions.

The event was loosely structured, with brief remarks coming at roughly 7:15 from community officials and Ward 1 Councilman Jim Graham. Local ANC representatives Jack McKay and Greg Edwards were in attendance.  Councilman Graham enthusiastically endorsed the Street Car project and reminisced about past plans to construct street cars through 18th Street and Harvard Street.  He also described how Metro has been focused mostly on bringing people in and out of the city, rather than transporting the city residents around their own city.  Given that this project is receiving no federal money, he strongly supports routes that will benefit DC residents internally, providing revitalizing and economic development effects.  He does note, that while he believes that street cars will benefit Ward One, that Anacostia and H Street need the new transportation more and he is excited to see it come into action.

Just don't ask him to call you a cab, he doesn't appreciate that.

In terms of the details of the plans being put forward by DDOT, it's all but impossible to fault them for ambition. But we want to know when will the cars come out from their storage facilities in the Czech Republic and start to make their way around Washington, DC!

This post in Beyond DC and Greater Greater Washington gives a comprehensive outline of exactly when we can hope to see these Street Cars actually taking place.  The good news is that while representatives say that the process will take 7-10 years, they are including time already elasped, so these should be coming in the next 3-4 years.