Washington's New Streetcar System Delayed... Again

[The Davy Crockett]

Here is a link to the article: http://www.wtop.com/?nid=654&sid=2441618

 

[Tracktwentynine]

I was wondering how it would make next year's deadline.

Amtrak is one of the reasons the line is being delayed. They control the H Street tunnel under Union Station (which they use for employee parking), which is how the streetcar will access its maintenance facility. So far Amtrak hasn't granted the streetcar access. And, of course, part of that element is constructing the maintenance facility and the portal to access the tunnel, neither of which has even been started yet.

Also, they need at least 3 more streetcars to be able to run the H Street service, and those have yet to be ordered. I'm not sure how long it takes to manufacture and ship one.

At any rate, we'll have streetcars again soon(ish).

 

[The Davy Crockett]

I was wondering how it would make next year's deadline.

Amtrak is one of the reasons the line is being delayed. They control the H Street tunnel under Union Station (which they use for employee parking), which is how the streetcar will access its maintenance facility. So far Amtrak hasn't granted the streetcar access. And, of course, part of that element is constructing the maintenance facility and the portal to access the tunnel, neither of which has even been started yet.

Also, they need at least 3 more streetcars to be able to run the H Street service, and those have yet to be ordered. I'm not sure how long it takes to manufacture and ship one.

At any rate, we'll have streetcars again soon(ish).

Thanks for all the info. :hi: I had not heard anything for a while, and was wondering what was going on myself. Gotta say though, its sounding like 2013 seems a bit of an optamistic estimate.

 

[The Davy Crockett]

Okay, I know THIS IS AN OLD THREAD but I knew it was here somewhere. I'd forgotten it was THIS old - scary how time flies - but there is news again about the system in this article in dcist. Construction is set to begin to finish the H St. NE line on March 26 of THIS YEAR! It scheduled to be finihed in October of THIS YEAR - pardon my cynicism, but we know how projected finish dates work for this system.

From the article:

That means that the streetcars could actually run in 2013, but let's be fair—early 2014 might be a safer bet.

 

[afigg]

Nothing wrong with resurrecting an old thread on the coming someday DC Street Car project. When the first street car starts running, we can either start a new thread or rename this one: Washington's New Streetcar System - Holy crap, they actually started running a stub line!

The Greater Greater Washington blog had 2 recent updates on the DC streetcar efforts. The first was on the latest proposed design for the H Street car barn. The car barn is still in the design and approval stage. And is still fighting resistance from the neighborhood associations. I would expect upon approval, it is gong to take a year or more to do final design, bid and award the contract, and build the car barn. I'm not clear on how they would run the streetcars by the end of 2013 w/o a car barn maintenance facility? Unless perhaps, because this is a stub starter line, they will run very limited hours and build a temporary overnight storage track for the street cars and do maintenance there.

The other recent GGW update was "DC finishes streetcar.... website". The website has been updated and I will say to their credit that there are newer planning documents and detailed planning studies underway on segments of the proposed 22 mile priority system. However, let's say they do start the short 8 stop H Street segment by the end of 2013 or early 2014. That segment is not going to provide much use until it can get extended west of Union Station at least partway into the Penn Quarter and maybe along K street or eastward to Benning Road. How many years will it take to design, get approval, and build those segments?

that said, if DC can build the proposed 22 mile priority system (PDF map here), the east-west route to Georgetown and the north-south routes will fill in gaps in rail system coverage in DC.

Meanwhile, the DC Metro Silver Line Phase 1 project started live testing this weekend of a 2 car trainset on the branch segment coming off of the Orange Line. It is possible the Silver Line Phase 1 and the DC Streetcar will start revenue operation in the same month in December 2013. Can't say that there is no progress on transit in DC.

 

[Ryan]

Meanwhile, the DC Metro Silver Line Phase 1 project started live testing this weekend of a 2 car trainset on the branch segment coming off of the Orange Line. It is possible the Silver Line Phase 1 and the DC Streetcar will start revenue operation in the same month in December 2013. Can't say that there is no progress on transit in DC.

That's AWESOME!!!

This thread over at rr.net has some pictures of the test train on the new tracks.

http://www.railroad.net/forums/viewtopic.php?f=75&t=60992&start=705#p1154953

 

[The Davy Crockett]

I came across - news for the better - about DC's turtle paced lurching towards a reborn streetcar system.

From the decision of US District Court for the District of Columbia. linked here:

Plaintiff Kingman Park Civic Association (“Kingman Park”) filed suit against Vincent C.

Gray in his official capacity as the Mayor of the District of Columbia, challenging aspects of the

District’s plan to construct a streetcar line in the Northeast quadrant of the District. Presently

before the Court is the Plaintiff’s [5] Amended Motion for Temporary Restraining Order, for

Preliminary Injunction and for Waiver of Bond. Upon consideration of the pleadings...

...the Court finds that the Plaintiff is not likely to succeed on the merits of its claims, the Plaintiff is not likely to suffer irreparable injury absent emergency relief, and the balance of the equities do not favor injunctive relief. With the public interest weighing against an injunction, on balance the Court finds emergency injunctive relief isnot warranted in this case. Accordingly, the Plaintiff’s motion is DENIED.

I've not read the decision, but it looks to be some good, light reading. :blink:

 

[afigg]

I came across - news for the better - about DC's turtle paced lurching towards a reborn streetcar system.
From the decision of US District Court for the District of Columbia.

...

I've not read the decision, but it looks to be some good, light reading. :blink:

The lawsuit is mostly about the streetcar barn on the corner of the grounds of (to be closed) Springarn high school and the overhead wires. Washington Business Journal: Judge denies group's bid to stop D.C. streetcar work. A streetcar barn on public land and overhead wires would somehow cause the neighborhood irreparable harm. The Kingman Park association is wasting money on a lawsuit.

The construction on H street to finish the power system, cross-bond the tracks, and put up the wires is underway at an aggressive pace. Construction Notices on the DCstreetcar.com website Looks like the Mayor is leaning on his DOT to get the initial H Street segment done this fall, so they can start testing and running the streetcars to have a chance at starting revenue service by the end of 2013.

The Union Station to Georgetown segment, which, IMO, will be the lynchpin for the streetcar system is supposed to release the finalized Alternative Analysis report by the end of this summer. Which will then advance pretty quickly into the Environmental study and preliminary engineering phase.

 

[The Davy Crockett]

From this article in the Washington Post:

After blowing an earlier self-imposed deadline, Mayor Vincent C. Gray is back with a new prediction for the debut of streetcar service along H Street and Benning Road NE.

“We’ll have passenger service probably starting in January, not later than early February when we get an additional car,” Gray said during his monthly appearance on NewsChannel 8.

D.C. transportation department officials finally admitted last month that the earlier goal of starting service by year’s end wasn’t going to happen. Work continues today on various parts of the system — including hanging the overhead wires, building the car barn near the line’s eastern terminus and finishing a turnaround switch at its western terminus. And the city is still waiting on the delivery of two streetcars to add to the three already delivered and in testing.

And - from WTOP for WMATA's Silver Line's opening it is now being said:

The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority is again pushing back its expected completion date for construction of the new Silver Line through Tysons Corner.The airports authority, which oversees construction of the new commuter line, says it needs several more weeks to complete work. Its most recent estimate had been that it would finish up at the end of November.

Because the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, which operates Metrorail, estimates it will need 90 days to conduct its own tests, passengers are unlikely to ride the line until the end of March.

This is the second announced delay; the initial estimate had been that passengers would be riding the Silver Line by the end of 2013.

Will the next announcements be that they will both start revenue service the same day? :unsure:

Say, like April Fools Day? :giggle:

 

[afigg]

The H St streetcar tracks now have a streetcar. The catenary is still being put up, so it can't run under power, but it was placed on the tracks on Friday night. Washington Post story with photos: District’s streetcar line finally has its first car. My guess for start of service is late March or April. Still a contest as to whether the Metro Silver Line or the H St streetcar will start revenue service first.

 

[The Davy Crockett]

Ever dreamed of being a streetcar operator? :unsure: Here is your chance!

From this page at dcstreetcar.com:

We are happy to announce that we will be hosting a Job Fair on January 27, 2014! The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) and its DC Streetcar operator, RDMT, will host this job fair through Midtown Personnel.

DC Streetcar Job Fair​

Monday, January 27th​

10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.​

Department of Employment Services (DOES) Headquarters​

4058 Minnesota Ave NE, Washington, DC, 20019​

At this time, RDMT is hiring approximately 34 individuals for four positions:

• Maintenance Technician – Job description and requirements
  
• Material Handler – Job description and requirements
  
• Service Attendant – Job description and requirements
  
• Streetcar Operator – Job description and requirements
  

Interested individuals do not have to attend the job fair to be considered. Please submit resumes directly to Molly O’Reilly-Pol at Midtown Personnel, 202.887.4747 or [email protected].

 

[Ryan]

AWWWWW, YEAH!!!!!

 

[afigg]

While the H St Streetcar starter segment is still being built, DC DOT is having a round of public meetings on the route alternatives for the North-South line to run from Buzzard Point to either Takoma or Silver Spring transit center. The Greater Greater Washington blog has a post with a map and many comments on the possible route: North-South streetcar starts to take shape. Be careful clicking on the map as it links to a 42 MB presentation file!

Lot of route alternatives and tradeoffs for zones 5, 4, 3. Is it better to run on 7th St from L'Enfant Plaza cross the National Mall or on 4th St? In Zone 4, go E-W on E or F st and then N-S on My initial thought is the 5A 7th st route is better for tourists and access to the Mall. Then in Zone 4, is 14th, 11th, or 9th St better for filling in the gap between the Metro lines and for local trips? IMHO, the line should go to Silver Spring, build a stub branch to Tokama later.

If it were up to me, much of the route would run in dedicated streetcar/bus lanes, but I recognize that will encounter serious resistance to those who will get upset at losing even a few curbside parking spaces.

 

[The Davy Crockett]

Its been six months since the last post here but...

According to this article at WTOP... DC begins training streetcar operators in traffic... TODAY :excl:

From the article:

The D.C. Department of Transportation will begin training streetcar operators in traffic for the first time this week along H Street and Benning Road in northeast Washington.Transportation officials say each operator will train with supervisors under various traffic scenarios. The training process begins Monday. Officials say this is part of the process in order to be certified to carry passengers.

Passenger service is expected to start later this year.

Officials say drivers, pedestrians and bicyclists should use caution along the H Street corridor as the streetcars will now begin operating. They say pedestrians should never step in front of a moving streetcar. The District is also ticketing cars that park in the streetcar's path.

The D.C. Streetcar will be operated by a team of 37 employees, including 28 operators.

 

[The Davy Crockett]

The above quote mentions that bicycles (amongst others) should use caution along the H street corridor.

Maybe they were not cautious enough?

From this article at WTOP:

Insisting that safety is its No. 1 priority, the District's Department of Transportation is proposing new restrictions on bikes on H Street Northeast, or anywhere the District engages its new streetcars.Under the proposal from DDOT, bikes would be banned from using the traffic lanes where streetcar "guideways" are placed. Cyclists could still use the lanes outside the streetcar tracks.

The move comes after many bikers' tires have been caught in the streetcar tracks, causing them to tumble or damage the bike.

Needless to say, this proposal has not sat well with the biking community. From the same article:

The Washington Area Bicyclist Association says the proposal amounts to banning bikes from the H Street corridor, home to a thriving cycling community and as many as six Capital Bikeshare bike stations from North Capitol Street to the intersection of Bladensburg and Benning Roads.

The article continues:

Loren Copsey, one of the owners of the Daily Rider bike shop on H Street Northeast, says the proposal took him by surprise. He first heard about it from reporters. He's not a fan of restricting bike traffic on H Street, though he recognizes the safety problems posed by the gaps in the streetcar tracks."I have a medical kit in the back," he explains. "When we first opened, we were constantly having people come in," with bumps, bruises and worse after their tires got caught in the streetcar tracks.

A cyclist who identified himself only as "Reel," says barring bikes from any part of H Street doesn't make sense.

"The only way I can get around is by bike...I can't go any other way. If they ban it, what am I supposed to do?"

Isis Misdary and Jacquett McGhee sat outside a café Wednesday -- their bikes locked to a railing beside them, and tried to make sense of the proposal. Misdary said she could see the need for ensuring safety, but "It's a slippery slope. I mean, where does it stop? I mean, if you ban H Street--what is the limiting principal?"

McGhee says there would be a definite downside for businesses that now benefit from bike traffic.

"I think banning bikes would ban whole businesses -- us sitting and having coffee on the side of the street. I think it's ridiculous we can't have a place to bike."

Copsey points out that people who use bikes to get around on the H Street Corridor are a real cross-section of the District: Capitol Hill professionals, people who bus tables at area restaurants, newcomers, long time residents, moms and dads shopping with a baby in a trailer, and DHL delivery guys heading home after a long day's work. Restricting bike access to one of the main thoroughfares in the area just doesn't make sense to him.

"We've done a lot of work to put a lot of infrastructure in and to do this just really says [they're] taking some of that back."

Not everyone objects -- some two-wheeled commuters say they avoid H Street. With buses, cars and streetcars vying for space on the road, it's just too frenetic. Instead, they find the bikeways along G and I streets more bike-friendly.

When WABA sent out notification to its members of the proposed regulations, DDOT caught a lot of flack, and put out the the following statement:

DDOT's number one priority is the safety of all modes of transportation, including bicycles, who share H Street. To that end, G and I Streets now have contraflow bicycle lanes, a safer alternative to H Street designed to keep cyclists away from streetcar tracks. We have concerns about all kinds of vehicles impeding the travel of the streetcar, and taken as a whole, the regulations address that.We are looking for constructive ways to address this concern while minimizing the impact to all users of the street. What were shared are proposed regulations for which we are seeking public comment. We are looking for constructive ways to address this concern while not minimizing the impact to all users of the street. Constituents have until Sept. 27 to weigh in.

The article concludes:

The regulations prohibit "…riding a bicycle within a streetcar guide way, except to cross the street." The document also defines the guide way as "the area where streetcars operate, including the streetcar track, overhead wiring, and the airspace between, above, and surrounding the streetcar tracks through which the streetcar or its appurtenances will pass while operating on the streetcar track."If so, the lanes should only be prohibited in the area of the concrete surrounding the rails, or more specifically, the outside lanes on H Street and the inside lanes on Benning Road -- not the entire street right-of-way.

"Additionally, DDOT proposed these regulations specifically for the opening of the H Street/Benning Rd streetcar line," the agency said. "Before the opening of any new lines or extensions, DDOT intends to evaluate how the system is performing under the existing regulations and make changes as appropriate."

I take away the following from all this:

1) No streetcar service in DC until at least after 9/27. Whether that is 2014, 2015, or 3014 remains to be seen.

2) It is 'important' issues like this that make getting anything done here in the DC area near impossible.

3) Bicyclists routinely ignore the 'rules of the road' - like stopping at stop signs - here in the DC region, and will just ignore the proposed regulations, unless they are actually enforced.

4) Bicyclists tend to think they are entitled, because they are 'doing the right thing' for the planet.

5) Learn from New Belgium Brewing Company: Having a Fat Tire or two is good for many things that ale you! :wub:

 

[Ispolkom]

As an avid bicyclist (albeit one who's old enough to stop at stop signs), I'm mystified. They aren't banning bicycles from H Street, rather from the street car lanes in the middle of H Street. It's difficult for me to understand why a bicyclist would be using a left lane (isn't H Street 4 lanes there?), and in any case, why they would be using a lane with obstructions that crash bicycles and injure bicyclists. It's like being upset that you can't bicycle through the broken glass field.

Of course, if you're a fixie-riding hipster named "Reel," rationality probably isn't a big feature of your lifestyle.

 

[afigg]

As an avid bicyclist (albeit one who's old enough to stop at stop signs), I'm mystified. They aren't banning bicycles from H Street, rather from the street car lanes in the middle of H Street. It's difficult for me to understand why a bicyclist would be using a left lane (isn't H Street 4 lanes there?), and in any case, why they would be using a lane with obstructions that crash bicycles and injure bicyclists. It's like being upset that you can't bicycle through the broken glass field.

The streetcar tracks are not in the middle of H Street for most of the route. The tracks are in the right lane on both side of the street except for the approach to and on the Hopscotch bridge. This is a street running street car for much of this segment of the future E-W line. So when the H Street car line starts operation, there will be a steep learning curve for drivers to not park and block the street car tracks and for bicyclists to avoid getting too close to the rail.

 

[Ispolkom]

As an avid bicyclist (albeit one who's old enough to stop at stop signs), I'm mystified. They aren't banning bicycles from H Street, rather from the street car lanes in the middle of H Street. It's difficult for me to understand why a bicyclist would be using a left lane (isn't H Street 4 lanes there?), and in any case, why they would be using a lane with obstructions that crash bicycles and injure bicyclists. It's like being upset that you can't bicycle through the broken glass field.

The streetcar tracks are not in the middle of H Street for most of the route. The tracks are in the right lane on both side of the street except for the approach to and on the Hopscotch bridge. This is a street running street car for much of this segment of the future E-W line. So when the H Street car line starts operation, there will be a steep learning curve for drivers to not park and block the street car tracks and for bicyclists to avoid getting too close to the rail.

Wow, my mistake. I guess that it's hopeless to expect Washington drivers to not pass the stopped streetcar on the right, like in Toronto, so you have to put the streetcar on the edge. I hope that delivery drivers in downtown DC have gotten better in the 15 years since I moved, because I can't imagine them not blocking the tracks.

 

[The Davy Crockett]

Wow, my mistake. I guess that it's hopeless to expect Washington drivers to not pass the stopped streetcar on the right, like in Toronto, so you have to put the streetcar on the edge. I hope that delivery drivers in downtown DC have gotten better in the 15 years since I moved, because I can't imagine them not blocking the tracks.

I wouldn't call it a mistake. Your point of reference is the MSP area, where things a little more civilized, and IIRC, tracks are generally in the middle of the street, usually on a designated right of way, which makes a lot of sense. Here in The Center of the Known Universe, where everything revolves around too many self-inflated egos, almost nothing makes practical, common sense.

Which leads directly to delivery trucks: No one riding the streetcars - whenever they may again grace the mean streets of DC - better be in a hurry. Its going to take folks a good while (if ever) to realize that it is in their best interest to not block/bicycle on the tracks.

 

[John Bredin]

Wow, my mistake. I guess that it's hopeless to expect Washington drivers to not pass the stopped streetcar on the right, like in Toronto, so you have to put the streetcar on the edge. I hope that delivery drivers in downtown DC have gotten better in the 15 years since I moved, because I can't imagine them not blocking the tracks.

I wouldn't call it a mistake. Your point of reference is the MSP area, where things a little more civilized, and IIRC, tracks are generally in the middle of the street, usually on a designated right of way, which makes a lot of sense. Here in The Center of the Known Universe, where everything revolves around too many self-inflated egos, almost nothing makes practical, common sense.

Which leads directly to delivery trucks: No one riding the streetcars - whenever they may again grace the mean streets of DC - better be in a hurry. Its going to take folks a good while (if ever) to realize that it is in their best interest to not block/bicycle on the tracks.

In my experience (Chicago), delivery trucks/cars park in the bike lane all the damned time, but the cyclists just go around and deliverymen get ticketed only when a cop low on his quota :giggle: happens by at the right time. But the streetcars can't go around, so I presume the car-operator will call the police tout suite and the deliveryman will get a rather juicy ticket unless he's gone by the time the officer arrives.* A few of those will make the point.

*I was once on a bus blocked in at a difficult turn by an a-hole driver. A cop came within very few minutes when the bus driver called it in. Alas, the swaggering twit folded like a cheap tent when the Law arrived. I was sorta hoping he'd cross his arms and pout like a knock-off Mussolini http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3tAPVOkkz0 as he had for the bus driver.

 

[Green Maned Lion]

I propose the banning of Cycling Advocate groups.

 

[The Davy Crockett]

I propose the banning of Cycling Advocate groups.

Throwing WABA under a bus or a streetcar - at least in this instance - has my vote.

 

[Steve4031]

The bicycle boys in Chicago are a problem too. If they are wearing one of those stupid helmets you can rest assured that they won't follow the law. I don't cry when one of them gets run over either.

 

[Bob Dylan]

Ditto for the Peoples Republic of Austin where thousands of wanna be Lance Armstrongs clog the streets and don't follow any of the traffic rules and regs (including running red lights, riding on sidewalks) and cuss and shoot the bird to drivers and pedestrians that they sometimes hit or cause to have accidents trying to avoid them!