Photo by morejazz3

On Tuesday afternoon, the D.C. Council voted unanimously — for a second time – to approve the Transportation Infrastructure Temporary Amendment Act of 2010, a temporary overhead wires bill under emergency procedures (the Council must vote on legislation twice under its procedures).  The Council amended the bill to address concerns raised by the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) recently, including by specifically listing Pennsylvania Avenue NW between the Capitol and the White House and the National Mall as wire free zones. 

The Council action caps off several tumultuous weeks following the Council’s June 22 hearing on the legislation at which NCPC did not testify.  However, just days after the hearing, NCPC Chairman Preston Bryant fired off a letter to the D.C. Council seeking unprecedented powers of approval for each individual streetcar segment before it could be built, and he threatened that if the Council failed to meet his demands, NCPC may be compelled “to pursue other measures that ensure protection of the federal interest.”  Not only that, but he sent a letter to Peter Rogoff, Administrator of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration (FTA), in an effort to torpedo D.C.’s application for $25 million in federal funding to extend the H Street-Benning Road streetcar line across the Anacostia River to the east and connect it to the Benning Road Metrorail station.

Within days, three D.C. officials — Robert Miller (NCPC Vice Chair who also works for D.C. Council Chairman Vincent Gray), Harriet Tregoning (Director of D.C.’s Office of Planning and an NCPC member), and Gabe Klein (Director of the District Department of Transportation(DDOT)) — sent separate letters to Bryant strongly objecting to his letter to the FTA seeking to kill D.C.’s chance to compete for federal funding for streetcars.  As it turned out, NCPC had not agreed upon the position stated in Bryant’s letters so he found himself out on a long limb.  He had to answer for his actions in a closed session of the Commission.

On July 8, the FTA announced awards for its Urban Circulator grants, and D.C. did not receive funds to extend the H Street-Benning Road streetcar line.  As reported on Greater Greater Washington, Bryant’s letter appears to have had no impact because the FTA grant decision had already been made by the time his letter was received.

In an attempt to resolve the dispute, last week Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton convened a meeting in her House office with representatives from NCPC, the D.C. Council and DDOT.  According to one account, that meeting appears to have been productive and has spurred further conversations between NCPC and the D.C. government, with NCPC apparently acting in good faith.  Further, in an interview with Fox 5 on Monday, Norton expressed confidence that D.C. will be in a good position to win federal funding for streetcars in the next round.

Where do streetcar supporters go from here?  First, we need to convert Congresswoman Norton from a lukewarm supporter of streetcars into our advocate for streetcars in Congress, particularly for federal streetcar funding.  More on this soon.  Second, we must ensure that when the D.C. Council returns from its recess in September that it immediately passes permanent overhead wires legislation (as the current “emergency” legislation is only temporary).  The goods news is that according to Council sources, this is the Council’s plan.

It’s hard not to notice the construction of the new streetcar line on H Street. I remember first seeing the construction signs last fall, and hearing rumors of streetcars. Soon, more and more of my fellow Gallaudet students started taking notice of the change on H Street. I have to admit the idea of streetcars in DC was unexpected and somewhat perplexing. So when I found out there was a community meeting about the streetcar at Wheatley Elementary School in April, I jumped at the chance to attend.

Several other Gallaudet students came with me to the meeting. We learned that there was much more to the streetcar project than we thought, but we also learned that the proposed streetcar system plan included a line on Florida Avenue. That fact alone stirred up our emotions. A public transportation line, and possibly a station, laid down right in Gallaudet University’s front yard? It’s a dream that seemed inconceivable.

Historically, the public transportation options for Gallaudet University have been limited. The nearest Metro stop– the New York Ave Station– is half a mile away, and only a recent addition. The University operates a shuttle bus to and from the Metro. However, this shuttle runs on a limited schedule, and does not give the Gallaudet community easy access to the public transportation system. A streetcar line on Florida Avenue would provide that access.

Gallaudet has been working for some time to reestablish its relationship with its neighbors and surrounding communities. We aim to tear down the fences around our campus, figuratively if not literally. These fences, and the limited transportation options, have kept the 1,500 or so Gallaudet students cooped up on campus away from greater interaction with the hearing community. Gallaudet boasts students from all over the United States, and all over the world. From American Sign Language (ASL) majors to aspiring businesspeople, We are eager to contribute to our surrounding communities. With better access to DC, internships and real-life work opportunities and business, cultural and academic collaborations, will suddenly become more feasible to Gallaudet students. The streetcar would be a huge boost in building a bridge between the Gallaudet University Campus and the rest of DC.

At the community meeting, we realized that there are some issues that have to be sorted out before the project can really take off– overhead wires, the design of stations, and traffic congestion to name a few. While we understand those issues, we are eager to help solve them, and speed up the process of connecting Gallaudet University with DC.

Earlier today, Councilmember Tommy Wells and all but one of his fellow Council members introduced the Transportation Infrastructure Amendment Act of 2010, a bill that would authorize the use of overhead wires to power streetcars on the H Street-Benning Road streetcar line and establish a process through which the mayor — with Council approval — may allow the use of overhead wires for future streetcar lines. The bill has been referred to the Committee on Public Works and Transportation chaired by Councilmember Jim Graham. The lone holdout was Councilmember Phil Mendelson, who raised concerns about several issues related to streetcars during the Council’s recent consideration of the budget.

The bill would begin by repealing the 1888 and 1889 federal laws that prohibit overhead wires in much of the District of Columbia and re-establishing them as local laws pursuant to D.C.’s Home Rule authority. An article on Greater Greater Washington on Saturday described the legal basis for this action, citing legal memos by the the Office of D.C.’s Attorney General and historic preservation attorney Andrea Ferster for DC Surface Transit.

The bill would permit the use of overhead wires for the H Street-Benning Road streetcar line, which is under construction, but before the District Department of Transportation could use ovehead wires for future streetcar lines, the mayor would first need to submit to the Council a “city-wide plan” for the use of overhead wires “with special attention paid to the view corridors of the federal monumental core.” The Council would need to approve or disapprove the plan within 45 days of submission or the plan would be deemed approved.

The bill also requires the mayor to submit a report to the Council by January 1, 2014 “with public comment included, on the feasibility of converting to non-aerial power where aerial wiring has been installed.”

In a statement on his website, Councilmember Wells commented that “[t]his bill represents our next step in connecting neighborhoods with the next generation of public transportation[.]”

After the D.C. Council decided earlier today to reduce funding for streetcars on H Street and Benning Road NE from $52 million approved by the transportation committee to about $3 million, Chairman Gray and other councilmembers heard from many angry constituents and changed course. Just moments ago, the Council voted 12-1 (with Councilmember Barry voting “no”) to restore streetcar funding to $47 million. This level of funding, although reduced, will permit the District Department of Transportation to continue its aggressive approach for completing the initial segment of the H Street-Benning Road streetcar line by 2012. Thanks to all the streetcar supporters who spoke up and helped convince the Council to support streetcars!

Greater Greater Washington reports that overnight Chairman Vincent Gray released a budget document that stripped out almost all of the $52 million for streetcars that the Committee on Public Works and Transportation approved recently. This funding would allow the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) to complete the initial segment of the H Street-Benning Road streetcar line, connecting it to Union Station and building a turnaround on Benning Road NE so that streetcar service could begin by spring 2012. Cutting this funding not only means that streetcars will not be running on H Street and Benning Road until well beyond 2012, but it also puts at risk federal funding DDOT has applied for to complete the line by crossing the Anacostia River and connecting the line to its planned terminus at the Benning Road Metrorail station. Ironically, this streetcar line would provide an important transit linkage across the Anacostia River and as such would seem like a perfect example of a project that would illustrate Gray’s “One City” vision for the District.

Please call (202-724-8032) or email Chairman Gray immediately and ask him to restore this vital streetcar funding.

The D.C. Council is expected to vote by the middle of this week on the final budget for the coming fiscal year, and streetcar supporters need to take action now to let their councilmembers know that they should support crucial funding for streetcars so that the H Street-Benning Road streetcar line can begin serving riders by spring 2012. Mayor Fenty’s budget included $63 million to allow the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) to get the H Street-Benning Road streetcar line up and running by spring 2012, as planned.

However, as the budget moved through Chairman Jim Graham’s Public Works and Transportation Committee recently, this amount was reduced to $52 million. This means that DDOT will be forced to be a lot more creative in order to stretch these resources and ensure that this first streetcar line is able to begin operating by spring 2012. Despite chopping about $11 million from the requested streetcar budget, Chairman Graham has provided leadership in seeking to ensure that the full Council approves this funding.

Of greater concern, at both the committee hearing on May 13 and again before the full Council on May 19, Councilmember Phil Mendelson raised concerns about this vital streetcar funding. At the Public Works and Transportation Committee hearing, Mendelson voiced his concern that the H Street-Benning Road streetcar line has “no beginning” and “no end” aftering driving the route and seeing the tracks end at 3rd and H Street on the west and at 23rd and Benning Road on the east. He seemed unaware that DDOT recently presented its plans for connecting the streetcar line to Union Station and constructing a temporary turnaround at Benning Road and Oklahoma Avenue until funding becomes available to extend the line to the Benning Road Metrorail station. Mendelson also seemed unaware that the funds DDOT is requesting in the budget would enable the agency to do the very work that he observed needs to be completed in order to make the streetcar line functional. He also expressed concern about providing the requested streetcar funding before the legal issues associated with using overhead wires to power streetcars have been resolved (although Councilmember Tommy Wells is expected to introduce legislation soon to address this issue.) Mendelson repeated these concerns during the full Council’s discussions of the budget on May 19, and he called for further reducing the streetcar funding in the coming fiscal year.

It sounds like Councilmember Mendelson needs to hear from more of his constituents who support streetcars that he should support this important funding to avoid further delays. He may be reached by telephone at (202) 724-8064 or email.

Streetcar supporters in D.C., we need your help now to ensure that the D.C. Council approves funding for streetcars so that the first streetcar line can begin operating by early 2012.

Just last week, the District Department of Transportation publicly unveiled its plan to finish the initial segment of the H Street-Benning Road streetcar line and start streetcar service there by spring 2012. This is excellent news, but it gets even better! Mayor Fenty’s budget includes $63 million for streetcars to make this plan a reality. These funds will pay to connect this streetcar line to the Union Station Metrorail station, install a turnaround at the east end of the line, build a storage and maintenance facility, and purchase six additional streetcar vehicles.

However, the D.C. Council still must approve these funds as part of the budget, and there are many competing demands for funding before the Council so we need your help now! Please contact your D.C. Council members and let them know that you want them to invest in D.C.’s transit future.

This investment in streetcars will provide D.C. residents with an efficient and environmentally friendly transit option that will connect D.C.’s neighborhoods, spur economic development, revitalize our communities, and reduce traffic congestion, noise pollution and air pollution.

Please act now – tell you D.C. Councilmembers that you support streetcars for D.C. and urge them to fully fund streetcars!

At Tuesday’s well-attended community meeting at Wheatley Elementary School, senior District Department of Transportation (DDOT) officials presented their plans for completing the H Street-Benning Road streetcar line and having it operational by spring 2012, which is sooner than projected even just a year to two ago. DDOT Director Gabe Klein opened the meeting by stating that at a similar community meeting in August 2009, DDOT had brought streetcars “out of the closet” and reinvigorated the initiative, and since then the agency has made tremendous progress. He challenged the argument that now is not a good time to invest in streetcars because of the recession and the District’s budget deficit, stating that “this is exactly the time to make this investment,” calling it a “generational investment.” He said that Metro is approaching maximum capacity, and streetcars can help provide additional capacity and connect neighborhoods that aren’t well served by existing Metrorail and Metrobus lines. He added that the Obama Administration strongly supports urban streetcar systems, and by investing now, D.C. will be in a better position to compete for federal funding for the remaining streetcar lines planned as part of the city’s 37-mile streetcar network.

DDOT Associate Director Scott Kubly and Project Manager Zahra Dorriz described plans to connect the streetcar line to Union Station by cutting an opening in the Hopscotch Bridge on H Street and running the streetcar on an existing but closed street under the Amtrak tracks. A 600-foot pedestrian tunnel would connect the streetcar terminus there to the Union Station Metrorail station (a nearly completed tunnel dating back to the 1970s already exists). The latest DDOT plan also calls for constructing an underground streetcar storage and maintenance facility there, which could hold up to nine streetcar vehicles (a total of six streetcar vehicles would be needed to operate the line). On the current eastern terminus of the line, DDOT would construct a temporary turnaround at Benning Road and Oklahoma Avenue NE where the tracks currently end. Kubly stated that DDOT has applied for federal transit funding through the Federal Transit Administration’s Urban Circulator grant program to extend the line to the Benning Road Metrorail station, and DDOT will begin an environmental assessment process for this segment soon.

Klein stated that Mayor Fenty’s budget submission to the D.C. Council proposes $63 million for completion of the streetcar line from the intersection of Benning Road and Oklahoma Avenue to Union Station, and he stated that DDOT will need this funding in order to complete the line by 2012, as planned. The D.C. Council still must approve this funding in the coming weeks.

Councilmember Tommy Wells made introductory remarks singing the praises of streetcar as the “next generation of transit” for D.C. and describing streetcars as a “transformative investment” that will connect our neighborhoods. He noted that although the District’s population has increased in recent years, car ownership in the city has actually declined, and he argued that D.C. needs to invest in transit options like streetcars to make it possible for more people to move into the city and make the lifestyle choice not to own a car.

Councilmember Harry Thomas, Jr., in whose ward the meeting took place, remarked that with DDOT’s work on the H Street-Benning Road streetcar line, “we’re moving in a very positive direction.” Thomas also said he was very pleased by the turnout at the meeting. According to sign-in sheets, 139 people were present at the meeting, and one person in attendance counted about 180 people. After the presentations, Kubly fielded a range of questions from audience members for more than 30 minutes. Most people voiced support for streetcars, and only a few individuals raised concerns about using overhead wires to power streetcars.

Greater Greater Washington, The Hill Is Home, The Washington Post, and the Washington Business Journal also covered the meeting.

Greater Greater Washington reported today that the “The H Street-Benning Road streetcar could become a reality as soon as the end of 2012, if the DC Council approves a capital budget reprogramming proposal to fund construction of the line.”

According to the post, the District has identified a total of “$63 million in unused capital funds” from various sources that can be used to fund the completion of the initial segment of the H Street-Benning Road streetcar line from H Street and 1st Street to Benning Road and Oklahoma Avenue (including turnarounds), construction of a maintenance facility and the purchase of six additional streetcars. Under the District Department of Transportation’s (DDOT) plan, the streetcar “line would go under the H Street ‘Hopscotch Bridge’ north of Union Station, where there is an old ground-level passageway” that would connect the streetcar line to the Union Station Metrorail station.

It reports that this reprogramming request was recently circulated to D.C. Council members. This is great news for streetcars, and hopefully the D.C. Council will take steps to swiftly approve the funding, which is necessary to complete most of this first streetcar line in D.C. DDOT also has applied for federal funding to extend the line from the intersection of Benning Road and Oklahoma Avenue to the Benning Road Metrorail station on the Blue Line, which would increase the streetcar line’s utility by linking it to a second Metrorail station.

At a community meeting on Tuesday, April 20 at 6:30 pm, District Department of Transportation (DDOT) Director Gabe Klein and Streetcar Project Manager Scott Kubly will update D.C. residents on DDOT’s progress toward bringing streetcars to the District. The meeting will be at Wheatley Elementary School, which is located at 1299 Neal Street NE, a short walk north of the H Street-Benning Road streetcar line currently under construction (contrary to the appearance on the Google map, the school is actually located closer to the intersection of Neal Street and Montello Avenue NE rather than Trinidad Avenue). The meeting location is accessible using several Metro bus lines, including the D3/D4, the D8, the X2, the 90/92/93 routes.

Councilmembers Harry Thomas, Jr. and Tommy Wells will make introductory remarks. The meeting will be hosted by Advisory Neighborhood Commissions 5B, 6A and 6C. It is a follow-up to a well-attended August 2009 meeting hosted by the three ANCs in Ward 6 at which DDOT committed to periodically update the community. It was proposed at time that the next meeting should be in Ward 5.

If you would like to help publicize the April 20 streetcar meeting, please print and post a flyer for the meeting at your apartment building, business or other public location.