The Committee on Public Works and Transportation (Councilmember Jim Graham, Chairman) has announced that it will hold a hearing on Tuesday, June 22 at 2:00 p.m. on the recently introduced bill to permit overhead wires for streetcars on H Street and Benning Road — the Transportation Infrastructure Amendment Act of 2010. The hearing will be in Room 412 of the John A. Wilson Building, which is located at 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue NW.

According to the hearing announcement, members of the public are invited to testify or submit written comments, which will be made part of the official hearing record. Anyone who wishes to testify should contact Ms. April Hawkins-Mason by email or telephone at (202) 724-8195 and request to be added to the witness list. Individuals will be given three minutes to present oral testimony and should also bring 16 copies of their written testimony to the hearing.

Anyone who is unable to testify at the hearing is encouraged to send a written statement by email or U.S. Mail to Ms. Hawkins-Mason, Committee on Public Works and Transportation, Room 116, 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC, 20004, no later than Tuesday, June 22 at 5:00 pm.

It is very important that streetcar supporters sign up to testify at this hearing. You can bet that members of the Committee of 100 and Capitol Hill Restoration Society who oppose overhead streetcar wires will be there to testify against the legislation, and numbers count at a hearing like this.