Streetcar Update

photo by banjaxx

Last night Scott Kubly of DDOT updated the public on the progress of the Streetcar project in a meeting hosted by ANC 6C at the Atlas Performing Arts Center. He could give classes on how to conduct a Q and A. The man is diplomatic and optimistic and will keep answering the same question over and over and yet not make the questioner feel like a dum dum.

The interminable Streetscape project on H (of which the streetcar is only one part) is set to be “substantially complete” by June 30th which means road surfaces and sidewalks will be done and traffic will flow normally. Weather permitting of course.

He once again mentioned the long term plans for a citywide streetcar system to better serve the city in the 21st century. He thanked the Mayor for  the $99.3 million commitment to the project over 6 years which, given the investment already made in the H Street and Anacostia lines, means that DC has made the largest local investment in streetcars in the country. So does that mean Portland and San Francisco have crappy cars or maybe they just got a really good deal at Costco?

We did hear some new tidbits last night. The intention is for the cars to run every ten minutes which will require a total of five cars, two for each track  and a spare.  Considerations and a strategy for safety and the various issues that will arise are being hammered out by a Fire/Life/Safety Committee made up of folks from various city agencies, DPW, MPD, DCFD, Homeland Security etc.

There will be a total of 8 platforms for the streetcar route along H and Benning. The platforms are raised in the center which will allow for direct entry to the cars for those in wheelchairs. Passengers will pay their fare at the stop rather than when entering the streetcar. Both of these innovations will allow for faster boarding.

The cars will be in the same traffic of course and so if the X2 stops in front of a streetcar it will stop as well. There will be no change to the bus schedule initially. The long term plan will be to well integrate a future streetcar system with the bus.

All well and good but when can I buy my ticket and take that first ride?? We’d been hearing “Spring 2012” tossed around for the last 2 years but Kubly said last night we are looking at “Late 2012.” While the entire capitol budget for the H Street line is fully funded there are no operational dollars in the FY 2012 budget.

To make even that delayed deadline a reality one sticky question must be answered. How will the streetcar connect with Union Station? DDOT’s proposal is to cut into the existing H Street bridge and use the old H Street. This involves several entities, most significantly Amtrak. Kubly is confident in the DDOT proposal saying it has “no fatal flaws’ but that Amtrak’s concerns about employee parking and the possibility of stray currents are legitimate. He seemed confident that since Amtrak has not given them a hard NO they will have the ability to work this out. “We’re reasonable people, they’re reasonable people,” he said. He admitted that if an agreement could not be reached by early this summer that late 2012 start date would not happen.

DDOT does have alternative plans for a Union Station stop but none are as elegant and convenient as this plan. We did get to hear about an existing, half-built pedestrian tunnel within Union Station that they will eventually complete and will better connect Metro passengers to H Street and the streetcar.

A streetcar on H Street will be little more than a amusement park ride if it doesn’t connect to other parts of the city. Part of that $99.3M will go towards planning for an extension of the streetcar line from Union Station to Washington Circle and from the Oklahoma Avenue stop to the Benning Road Metro.

Concerns from the crowd included the ever-present overhead wire issue (yes, H Street will have wires.) DDOT has put out an RFP to the industry for improved battery technology which will allow for a wireless ride for up to one mile. Other US cities have also made similar requests for various reasons and the hope is that the federal government will step in and fund some of these projects.

Folks who remember the old trolley circles have been concerned about how the cars will turn around but our fancy new cars will not need to turn. The cars are bi-directional which means the driver (conductor?) will move from one end of the car to the other.

They expect the fares to align with those of the Circulator and the hours to align with Metro and your Smart Trip card will work on them all.

DDOT is also looking for companies to operate the system in a similar way they work with outside companies with the Circulator and Capital Bikeshare.

So impatient streetcar nerds like myself were a bit disappointed to hear that the start date has been pushed back and we’re nervous that Amtrak will be obstructionist.  But at least we’ll soon have a beautiful new street to enjoy.

I just hope we can keep those futuristic looking streetcar stops looking sharp until we can take that first ride.

Jen DeMayo is the Director of Community for the Atlas Perfroming Arts Center.