As of this morning, the first streetcar wires are up on H Street.

Span wire on H Street. Photo by BeyondDC.

DDOT began stringing head span wires this morning around 7:00 am. Head span wires run perpendicular to the tracks. They’re different than the contact wires, which run parallel to the tracks and directly power trains. The contact wires will go up next, in the coming weeks.

Streetcar in Seattle, showing both span wires and contact wires. Photo by BeyondDC.

Cross-posted at BeyondDC.

Dan Malouff is a transportation planner for Arlington and an adjunct professor at George Washington University. He has a degree in urban planning from the University of Colorado and lives in Trinidad, DC. He runs BeyondDC and contributes to the Washington Post. Dan blogs to express personal views, and does not take part in GGWash's political endorsement decisions.