A Solid Plan for the DC Streetcar Network
Reported by Chris
Image: District Department of Transportation
Last night, DDOT revealed their new proposed streetcar system plan at DC’s Transit Future meeting in Ward 6, the first of eight meetings- one for each ward. New materials were also posted online. Given the slow progress that’s been made over the last few years and the increasingly low expectations, the new plan is nothing less than inspiring. It’s clear from the new map filled with colorful lines snaking all over the District that DDOT means business: Streetcars are coming back to DC, and in a big way. Hearing DDOT lay out the new plan, one gets the impression that their witnessing the very first steps in the creation of another game-changing system, much like the system revealed 40 years ago that we have come to know as Metro.
For those that couldn’t attend last night’s meeting, here’s a quick recap:
- The new system consists 37 mile system with 8 lines, built over 3 phases. It will eventually connect Downtown with H Street NE, Georgetown, Logan Circle, Mt Vernon Triangle, Adams Morgan, Columbia Heights, Petworth, Brentwood, Barracks Row, the Ballpark District, Anacostia, and many other neighborhoods.
- The system is estimated to take 7-10 years for all phases to be built, at a rate of 2 weeks per block of track. Since Phase 1 is already under construction, we could have a fully functional citywide streetcar system in place around 2016-2019. Considering Dulles Rail will have taken 50 years to design and build, this is pretty much warp speed.
- The Anacostia line is to be operational in late 2012, with the H St/Benning Rd line operational “shortly thereafter.”
- In the new plan, the H Street NE line now extends all the way across town to Foggy Bottom, and the Anacostia line now extends over the 11th Street Bridges and all the down M St SE to Nationals Stadium. No word on whether these the full lengths of these two routes will be in operation by 2012, or just shorter sections.
The estimated construction cost of the full system is $1.5 billion. The b-word might raise a few hackles, but looking at the capital costs of some recent and upcoming large-scale projects keeps things in perspective:
- Dulles Rail Phase 1 (Falls Church to Reston) $2.6 billion
- Purple Line (Maryland) $1.6 billion
- Dulles Airport AeroTrain (People Mover) $1.4 billion
- Nationals Park $611 million
Comparatively, streetcars are an absolute bargain, especially considering how incredibly useful they will be in getting from neighborhood to neighborhood, and how they will likely stimulate massive economic development (Portland observed $18 of development built for every $1 they spent on their streetcar system.)
If you couldn’t attend last night’s meeting, there are 7 additional upcoming meetings. The next meeting is for Ward 1, taking place at the Columbia Heights Education Campus at 16th and Lamont, NW next Monday at 7:00pm. Make sure you attend this meeting or one of the others to see the plan for yourself and have your voice be heard. This project promises to reshape the District just as Metro did, and everyone’s input is important. As the sign on the wall at the meeting proclaimed, “There are no silly questions.”
In the meantime, sound off in the comments: What do you think about DC’s new streetcar plan?
Comments & Trackbacks
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Tweets that mention at ReadysetDC [beta] — Topsy.com said at 11:52 AM on October 23rd, 2009
I was so impressed with the new plan. It shows that DDOT is very serious now, and we have the federal administration to support it now.
PS: They also said to expect an announcement soon, but that Smartbike will be expanded to 100 stations/1000 bikes by Spring 2010!
Justin said at 1:58 PM on October 23rd, 2009
I love how we went from zero transportation improvements to Streetcars, Bike Sharing, Bike Station, and Dulles Rail all at the same time. Purple Line should be finishing up around the time the Streetcar is finished as well.
Chris said at 2:26 PM on October 23rd, 2009
I applaud the plan. There is some serious expert analysis/thought that went into it, and it shows.
It restores some of the historical routes (it makes sense that densities in the city still reflect the old system since the city was built around it) while moving people around directly to the places they want to go today. The direct East-West route (red line) is sorely needed. Connection across the river to Anacostia is sorely needed. Those are the first two lines. Smart.
I for one have no problem with the 8th St. residential street line. That was a historic line and it will replace most of the noisy/smelly buses that currently ply that route. Streetcars will be smoother and bring economic development.
Nobody said at 5:03 PM on October 23rd, 2009
Loving this plan. So civilized! Especially loving that it’ll connect H St NE to the rest of the city.
Just so sad that DC (and many other American cities) once had awesome streetcars that were shut down to make room for cars and the lazy planning, sprawl, and congestion that followed. Now we’re going back to the future… or forward to the past?
Either way, it’ll be great to get our streetcars back up and running! This can’t happen soon enough.
bloch_party said at 6:34 PM on October 23rd, 2009
This plan is so great that it’s hard to imagine it reaching fruition. After all, petroleum related industries were able to systematically dismantle the thriving streetcar networks present in US cities (even smaller ones) before … and mostly erase the Great American Streetcar Scandal from history. And modern corporate strategy is far more sophisticated.
Perhaps, with all the easy oil pickings exhausted and a heightened environmental awareness, public momentum will build to the point that NOT fulfilling this plan is unthinkable. It could be the cornerstone of a renaissance that would transform DC neighborhoods into healthy, vital “urban villages”.
K.Lee said at 11:36 PM on October 23rd, 2009
Social comments and analytics for this post…
This post was mentioned on Twitter by amperlee: RT @readysetdc: A Solid Plan for the DC Streetcar Network http://is.gd/4xJYS...
uberVU – social comments said at 3:55 AM on October 24th, 2009
This plan is so great that it’s hard to imagine it reaching fruition. After all, petroleum related industries were able to systematically dismantle the thriving streetcar networks present in US cities (even smaller ones) before … and mostly erase the Great American Streetcar Scandal from history. And modern corporate strategy is far more sophisticated.
Perhaps, with all the easy oil pickings exhausted and a heightened environmental awareness, public momentum will build to the point that NOT fulfilling this plan is unthinkable. It could be the cornerstone of a renaissance that would transform DC neighborhoods into healthy, vital “urban villages”.
P.S. – Sorry, forgot to tell you great post!
K.Lee said at 5:57 AM on October 24th, 2009
@K.Lee
There is a couple of big differences between the peak of streetcars in the 1930s when GM/big oil/firestone tires colluded to destroy the streetcar system, and our current era:
1) None of the modern streetcar lines are privately owned. In DC for example, the new lines would be built with public funds and operated by either DDOT or WMATA. It would be impossible for a bus company to come along like last time, buy up all the lines, rip them up, and replace them with bus routes.
2) Buses have reigned for 80 years, and people are looking for something new. Furthermore, transit agencies see streetcars as a way to get people who won’t ride buses but will ride trains out of their cars and onto public transit.
3) Peak oil is now an accepted as fact. In the 1930s, it must have seemed like the oil would last forever. Now we know we’re going to run out sooner than later. It makes more sense than ever to get people out of gas powered vehicles and into efficient, electric ones. Putting all our eggs in the combustion engine basket no longer makes any sense.
4) Global Warming has been accepted as fact. Gas powered buses seem even less appealing compared to electric streetcars.
5) Cities like Portland have demonstrated that building streetcar lines attracts massive amounts of economic development, and can be used to revitalize neighborhoods that need it. To my knowledge, this has never happened with a bus line.
6) In 1940, GM was king. 70 years and one bankruptcy later, GM is impotent.
Chris said at 8:39 AM on October 24th, 2009
The plan is excellent! As far as it goes, that is.
Much of Ward 3 remains underserved. Ward 3 is the type of ward in which practically every member of the family (including the family cat and dog) has a private car. And, due to the lack of public transportation, every such car is in use. Moreover, anyone who works in Ward 3 must drive in. So Ward 3 contributes to traffic issues.
There used to be a street car line going along palisades and into Glen Echo park. The right of way remains. I think the city could do a lot more to reduce traffic congestion and pollution by bringing that particular streetcar line back. I wish that was part of the plan.
E said at 9:29 AM on October 30th, 2009
I was reared in DC but now live in Maryland. Riding the streetcar when I was young was the big event on the weekends, especially Sunday’s after church. You could ride all day with your pass getting off to get dinner or ice cream then finish riding to the end then back. This was the big event for families who didn’t have alot of money for the movies or more expensives activities. People who are new to the city don’t know the condo’s on 14th or 15th street SE (this maybe the wrong streets)is where the street car barn was located and the street cars turned around at Barney Circle SE, time you came across Sousa Bridge the cars turned right and went around in a circle to make another run and change conductors. Although I am grown now it will be fun to take my grandchildren on rides and reminisce how we rode the street cars back in the day. Black people could ride the street car to Glen Echo Amusement Park and look while riding but you couldn’t get off to go in because blacks were not allowed in the park, so for blacks and their children the high light of the ride was seening the rides and lights and just looking. Thanks for letting me me vent.
susie w collins said at 4:27 AM on November 10th, 2009
Whoa, they’re actually going through with the streetcar? That’s great! Personally, I’ve always thought of the Metro as the DC streetcars’ spiritual successor! To celebrate the system when it opens, it would really be cool if the trolley museum could have their old DC Transit cars run on the new line!
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