Transit
Streetcar delayed to late 2012; funding still secured
The new streetcar line on H Street and Benning Road will start running in late 2012. Despite this delay from the originally planned Spring 2012 launch date, the funding for the entire line is still secure.
Photo by the author.
In fact, Scott Kubly, who directs DDOT's streetcar project, applauded the mayor's proposed 2012 budget, which adds an additional $99.3 million to spend over the next 6 years for planning and construction beyond this initial segment.
Mr. Kubly and ANC 6C06 commissioner Anne Phelps thanked the mayor for proposing such a robust commitment to the future of the citywide system.
Though the Anacostia line is still in the planning phase and will start after the H-Benning segment, this summer DDOT will start planning H-Benning's westward expansion from Union Station to Washington Circle.
H Street's streetscape project, in which the streetcar was just one element, will be "significantly complete" by June 30. At that time, all sidewalks, road lanes, and parking spaces will be open.
The streetcar, however, is another matter. Though the District owns a set of streetcars, DDOT is still working out an agreement with Amtrak for access to the old H Street tunnel under the rail yard at Union Station. This tunnel (schematic below) will serve as the western terminus and connection to Union Station until the city rebuilds the Hopscotch Bridge (H Street) in 2015 with the new tracks on the bridge deck.
When the line first opens, the streetcars traveling westbound on H Street NE will enter a new portal in the middle of the bridge Hopscotch Bridge and continue at-grade on a single track toward the old tunnel under the railyard. The Union Station stop will be a single platform just before the tunnel's western portal (yet to be reopened) at 1st St NE.
Schematic of the maintenance yard (left), 1st Street NE (center), the Union Station stop, and tracks toward H Street (right). Image from DDOT. Click to enlarge.
Mr. Kubly stated that the District and Amtrak are working out details such as how to accommodate Amtrak's current use of the tunnel for employee parking and access under and across the wide railyard.
Though Mr. Kubly was confident the city could reach an agreement with Amtrak for the tunnel, he said the current approved funding plan budgets for contingencies in the unlikely case the agency is unable to route the streetcar under the railyard. The two parties must reach an agreement this summer in order to keep the late-2012 opening date.
When the Union Station terminus opens in late 2012, passengers will walk a short distance down 1st Street NE to Union Station's side entrance.
After the stop opens, DDOT will start construction on a pedestrian passageway to connect the western terminus to the Union Station Metro mezzanine.
The streetcar stop will also include elevators to connect passengers to the Circulator stop two levels up at the bridge deck.
In 2015, DDOT will start reconstruction of the Hopscotch Bridge with the goal of carrying the streetcar line onto the deck of the bridge permanently. The elevators will then ferry passengers down from the streetcar stop to the passageway to the Metro mezzanine. The original track will become a non-revenue access track to the storage and maintenance facility that will remain under the bridge's western approach.
The streetcar system will borrow features of other transit systems in the area. It will run the same hours as Metrorail and will charge the same fares as the Circulator and will accept SmarTrip payments.
When the line opens in late 2012, five cars will be devoted to the H-Benning segment in order to provide 10-minutes headways. Bus service will remain the same.
DDOT is finishing up its RFP to private companies to run and maintain the system. Mr. Kubly stated that they are writing in performance guarantees to ensure the operator provides a basic level of service. For instance, the city will require that the operator tow a broken-down streetcar in a timely manner so the system can keep operating.
This sort of contractual performance guarantee is similar to what DDOT and Arlington require of Alta, the private company that maintains Capital Bikeshare. The District assesses penalties to Alta if any station remains entirely full or empty for more than three hours.
On one issue, though, Mr. Kubly's answer disappoints. The local X buses, which stop nearly every block on H Street, will frequently hold up tailing streetcars since streetcars will only stop every few blocks. Since the buses will stop in the shared rail lane, there will be no way for a streetcar to maneuver around a stopped X bus while passengers slowly board, alight and pay.
One should be skeptical of Mr. Kubly's explanation that these cases won't happen that frequently as any frequent bus rider knows that vehicles bunch up quite often. Ideally, DDOT will work out an agreement with WMATA so that when a bus driver notices that he will delay a streetcar, he will pull aside to let the vehicle pass.
DDOT is also working on adding transit signal prioritization to the traffic lights on H Street. Such a system holds green lights for approaching buses and streetcars to prioritize their movement along a given street. Mr. Kubly stated that Councilmember Tommy Wells (D - Ward 6) has been pushing hard for prioritization along H Street NE.
The lack of signal prioritization is painfully obvious on Portland's streetcar, which frequently approaches traffic lights just as they turn red. It looks as though DC won't repeat Portland's mistake.
As for data openness, Mr. Kubly promised to release all data to the public for integration into custom applications such as real-time maps, arrival predictions, and performance measurement. This is a stark contrast to WMATA's foot-dragging on Google Transit integration.
Residents near H Street NE are happy that the street reconstruction is nearly finished. When the streetcar opens late next year, the final act of the street's physical transformation will be complete.
 | Eric Fidler has lived in DC and suburban Maryland his entire life. He likes long walks along the Potomac and considers the L'Enfant Plan an elegant work of art. He also blogs at Left for LeDroit, LeDroit Park's (only) blog of record.    |
Comments
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This isn't that much of a contrast. WMATA has released the data publicly (of course, after our fight over whether WMATA should try hire a contractor to tell them how much they should sell the data for in order to obtain revenue). It's just that for years they refused to sign an agreement with Google or the negotiations took forever, and even 9 months after the agreement is signed they still haven't completed whatever needs to be done to get the data into Google.
by Michael Perkins on Apr 21, 2011 4:11 pm • link • report
All of the other bus stops on H Street are not in the travel lane, but in the parking lane - so long as the buses pull all the way into the parking lane, there will be no obstruction of the streetcar.
None of this will be an issue on Benning Road, as the tracks there are in the middle of the street.
by Alex B. on Apr 21, 2011 4:16 pm • link • report
by Michael Perkins on Apr 21, 2011 4:25 pm • link • report
what a waste.
by skeptic on Apr 21, 2011 4:31 pm • link • report
by Eric on Apr 21, 2011 4:33 pm • link • report
This morning the X9 stopped by the temporary bus stop sign in the parking lane. Then a few minutes later the X2 stopped at the new 8th and H shelter, which does have the bus blocking the parking lane.
If the stop is at at the shelter the buses will be blocking travel lanes.
I think its going to take a little bit for everyone to get on the same page.
by Kate on Apr 21, 2011 4:36 pm • link • report
Do you really think the WMATA bus drivers will pull aside for anyone?
by Lance on Apr 21, 2011 4:48 pm • link • report
by Michael on Apr 21, 2011 5:09 pm • link • report
by jj on Apr 21, 2011 5:16 pm • link • report
Signal priority is a good start. Haven't they also said the streetcars would operate on proof-of-payment too? i.e. you can board in the back door.
by Gavin on Apr 21, 2011 5:35 pm • link • report
Why not have the streetcar tracks in the middle of the road for the entire length and redo the street to add center platforms like which is done in some other places ?
by kk on Apr 21, 2011 7:16 pm • link • report
by jon on Apr 21, 2011 8:05 pm • link • report
As someone who rides the X2 nearly every day, cutting back would be an utter disaster. X2s run frequently yet are still dangerously crowded pretty much from 8 a.m. to midnight. And the streetcar won't yet go to the destination most people who ride the X2 westbound disembark (also the spot where many eastbound riders get on): 7th and H in Gallery Place.
by Anon on Apr 21, 2011 9:58 pm • link • report
by Sand Box John on Apr 21, 2011 11:24 pm • link • report
Center of the street is also where every streetcar of yesteryear ran.
I agree that running in the center is better, but the problem with the comparison to "streetcars of yesteryear" is that the streetcars of today must meet ADA compliance, which means stations and platforms for wheelchair users. Old streetcars didn't have to worry about this and passengers could just get off the vehicle in the street.
by MLD on Apr 22, 2011 9:13 am • link • report
by Eric Fidler on Apr 22, 2011 9:24 am • link • report
This is either going to be DDOT's greatest success or biggest failure. I honestly don't know anymore what to think, but it sure is interesting to be in the neighborhood while all this plays out.
by East H on Apr 22, 2011 10:20 am • link • report
I'm suggesting for center running island stops virtually the same kind of stops we see now at the curb-side or right-side running as far as accessibility. With low floor streetcars, its not too difficult since we arent talking about huge heights. Girard in Philly is another example.
by jon on Apr 22, 2011 12:20 pm • link • report
by tom veil on Apr 22, 2011 10:16 pm • link • report
by Greg on Apr 23, 2011 8:08 am • link • report
The first pot goes to things which last decades or more. The second for things which get used up right away and which you have to pay for again (or cut) next year. You can't just spend the capital money on one year's services.
by David Alpert on Apr 23, 2011 8:12 am • link • report
by TGEoA on Apr 23, 2011 8:56 am • link • report
S&P rates DC's general obligation bonds at A+ and rates income tax secured revenue bonds at AAA. OCFO has the details.
by Eric Fidler on Apr 23, 2011 9:19 am • link • report
Thanks. Is it safe to assume the funding for the streetcars are locked in already? Interest rates being so low they might as well pay the extra interest for the delay instead of risking higher rates.
by TGEoA on Apr 23, 2011 9:41 pm • link • report
Furthermore, a streetcar investment will yield further tax dividends down the line, giving us more to pay for social services. You have to invest to help others.
by H Street Landlord on Apr 23, 2011 11:27 pm • link • report
In my early days in this city we had streetcars. They did not make it, just like the dinosaurs. Why should it work this time?
More biking priorities are going to cause more collisions. We now have all these bike racks. But for who? Cars and bikes, like water and oil, do not mix. Car drivers do not follow the rules and neither do bikers. Cars run some traffic lights. Bicyclers run all traffic lights.
The Circulator Buses serve a limited ridership. This is a waste of money.
Just imagine what many DC natives and non-natives think about the dog parks. Parks for dogs, now that is certainly equality and civil rights.
This spending is FUBAR.
It seems that DC Government once more is simply pandering to a particular constituency.
by Native Resident on Apr 24, 2011 2:22 am • link • report
This is wasteful and nonsense: Streetcars, bike lanes, the Circulator Bus and parks for dogs. The city is throwing money at a wild hog and saying sewee.
Ah, right. "BIKE LANES FOR WHO?!?"
The middle-class residents we want to attract so that we can increase density, and strengthen the city's tax base--the folks who fund the trove of social services to the city's poor, that's who. Obviously, there is a subset of "native residents" who are either very old, very poor, or hopeing to turn DC into Upper Marlboro, but the *majority* of DC residents are not excited about that prospect.
If you've got an alternative vision for the city's future, why not elucidate it? And while you're at it, perhaps you could explain how providing a handful of public dog runs in the city interferes with "equality and civil rights." Because frankly, it sounds like a ridiculous stretch.
In any case, I know many, many "native residents", of all races, dog-owning, and non- dog-owning, who have been clamoring for such services for years.
It seems that DC Government once more is simply pandering to a particular constituency.
That's what local government does; I suspect this is at the heart of your feelings of resentment.
by oboe on Apr 25, 2011 9:41 am • link • report
"Bike lanes for who?" is a reasonable question, but "the middle-class residents we want to attract" is not the right answer. Even (especially!) in "hip, young" Columbia Heights, I see people of every shape, size, color and (apparent) income bracket using bicycles in DC. And why shouldn't that be so? A bike is infinitesimally cheaper to own and use than a car.
Even if you don't use a bike, you might appreciate the extra space on the Metro, the bus, and in the car travel lanes that cyclists would otherwise take up. You might also consider the fact that they emit zero air pollution, since I'm pretty sure both newcomers and long-time residents breathe air.
by JewdishoowarySquare on Apr 25, 2011 1:39 pm • link • report
What's so bad about Upper Marlboro?
Wait! Don't tell me! I know. It's not "dense".
Here's a hint:
If you're goiung to hate, at least check your spelling. There is no such word as "hopeing".
by ceefer66 on Apr 25, 2011 6:28 pm • link • report
Not a thing. Folks that want to live in a suburban cul-de-sac where you're only a 10 minute car ride from a shopping center *should* have options when choosing a place to live. And they do. 99.99% of the communities in the country fit that bill. Just don't want to see my city turned into a bad facsimile.
If you're goiung to hate, at least check your spelling.
You are correct sir. There is no excuse for sloppy spelling. I will endeavor to to better in the future.
by oboe on Apr 25, 2011 10:22 pm • link • report
"Bike lanes for who?" is a reasonable question, but "the middle-class residents we want to attract" is not the right answer.
Sorry, my comment was a bit flippant. I see "Bike lanes for who?" as a sort of catch-all rallying cry for politicians who are more concerned about leveraging cultural resentments into votes. Of course bike lanes aren't for middle-class residents (any more than dog parks are exclusively for the middle-class and wealthy). I'm banging away on that drum every other day.
I'm still shocked at how many self-proclaimed "DC natives" aren't familiar with the massive numbers of DC's black population who are riding around on bikes every day. My guess is that the ones denying it live in car-dependent suburban developments within the city, in places where there's no infrastructure to support cycling, so the only folks on bicycles are those who have no choice. Of course, where there's infrastructure, the number of folks who cycle by choice (as opposed to those with no other option) increases dramatically.
There's a ton of bike infrastructure on and around Capitol Hill, and at certain times of day, probably 70% of the people you see on bikes are black folks. I can't count the number of times I've been sitting at a red light, and had a "fully loaded" Navigator (or the like) pull up next to me, the window roll down, and a middle-aged black woman ask me where she can get one. The more infrastructure, the greater the adoption of bicycles, and the less it's perceived as "something crackheads and crazy white people (or "crazy liberal hipsters," if you're an old white suburbanite) do".
My larger point was that providing services to middle-class residents isn't a bad thing. It's critical to the solvency of the city.
by oboe on Apr 26, 2011 11:16 am • link • report
by Ocean Railroader on May 5, 2011 11:26 pm • link • report
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