On Thursday, August 6, at 7:00 pm, Advisory Neighborhood Commissions 5B, 6A and 6C will co-host a public meeting to receive an update from District Department of Transportation (DDOT) Director Gabe Klein on progress on the planned H Street-Benning Road streetcar line.  The meeting will be held at the Atlas Performing Arts Center, which is located at 1333 H Street NE.  It is on the X2 bus route.  There is also a free H Street Shuttle that runs from the Gallery Place-Chinatown Metrorail station (Red Line) (it picks up in front of Zengo Restaurant, 781 7th Street NW on, 7th, just south of H Street NW).

Following the first meeting of the H Street-Benning Road Streetcar Alliance in October 2008, the three ANCs sent a letter to DDOT’s Mass Transit Administration director in November 2008 requesting that DDOT participate in a public meeting in the community to discuss the challenges facing the project and answer questions from community members.  The ANCs have been trying since then to schedule the meeting.

ANCs 5B, 6A and 6C and the Atlas Performing Arts Center are partner organizations in the H Street-Benning Road Streetcar Alliance.

Photo credit: Press-Office, City of Munster, Germany, 2001

The City of Munster, Germany started a Bicycle Friendly campaign and created a poster to promote riding bikes and transit instead of cars to reduce congestion, pollution, and generally improve the quality of life in Munster. This image is based on the poster they created.

Please note that this image is primarily to show how much space cars take up compared to other modes, although not pictured here streetcars (or trams as they’re usually called in European cities) are quieter and cleaner than buses.

Think about it… do people need to carry around cars with them just to get around their city?

And what about all the usable land needed to move and park cars? Dr. Donald Shoup of UCLA in his book “The High Cost of Free Parking” points out that most cars are parked at home, work, school, etc. about 85-90% of the day. So planners have to allocate valuable land not only once, but some multiple so people can park their cars in various places around the city as they carry an 8×10 foot box around with them.

About 85% of most U.S. cities is impervious surface (pavement, concrete, etc.), this contributes to stormwater runoff, and non-point pollution of surface waters. How much urban space would be available for parks or buildings if we didn’t need that space for cars?

The Atlas Performing Arts Center has joined the H Street-Benning Road Streetcar Alliance, a coalition of community groups, environmental organizations, businesses and other organizations that support the streetcar line planned for H Street and Benning Road NE.  The Atlas, a community-based performing arts center with four theatres, three dance studios and rehearsal space, is located in a historic movie theatre complex on H Street.  It serves as home to a diverse group of resident arts organizations, including theatre and dance companies, symphony orchestras, choral groups and arts education programs.

Even prior to formally joining the streetcar alliance, The Atlas Peforming Arts Center has been supportive by donating meeting space to the alliance for its meetings.  The most recent meeting with Councilmember Wells was attended by several Atlas staff, including Executive Director Patrick Stewart, who has worked hard to bring better transportation options, including a new shuttle, to the H Street corridor as a temporary measure while the community awaits the streetcar line.

DC for Democracy (DC4D), an all-volunteer grassroots community of over 400 members who work for progressive change both nationally and locally, is the latest organization to sign on as a supporter and member organization of the H Street-Benning Road Streetcar Alliance. DC for Democracy’s support for improved mass transit service and community-based economic development in the H Street-Benning Road corridor is part of the group’s “Sustainable DC” campaign. The local group is the Democracy for America (DFA) affiliate in the District of Columbia.