The line was originally slated to end service in 2027, but funding cuts will force its closure next March.
Washington, D.C.’s streetcar will end service in 2026, one year earlier than originally planned, reports Rachel Weiner in the Washington Post.
The D.C. Council cut the streetcar’s regular funding from its budget, forcing it to stop running next March. “The faster-than-expected wind down mirrors the fate of the D.C. Circulator bus service, which ran its last routes on Dec. 31. Both were dreamed up in the early 2000s, when D.C. leaders were looking to spur tourism and development by taking people to places the Metro system didn’t reach.”
Ridership on the streetcar never gained strength, in part because the line lacks a dedicated, blocked-off track and plans to extend it to more areas never materialized. D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said in May that the streetcar will be replaced by an electric bus using the same overhead wires in late 2028 or 2029.
Read the full story: Budget cut means D.C. Streetcar will shut down in March
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