Return of Streetcars to D.C. Brings Nostalgia

Fifty years after they last plied its streets, Washington D.C. awaits the return of the city's streetcars in 2013 with nostalgia and hope.

1 minute read

January 30, 2012, 9:00 AM PST

By Jonathan Nettler @nettsj


Ashley Halsey III reports on the District's complicated history with streetcars, 50 years to the day after they ceased operations. Halsey looks at the conspiracy theories surrounding their demise and speaks to residents about their recollections, as ambitious plans for their return come closer to reality.

"The District has laid out a plan for 37 miles of streetcar lines across the city, a $100 million commitment. Tracks were installed on H Street during a recent overhaul, and the first trolley cars are to run down them in the summer of 2013."

As reported in another recent article in the Post, "The District's proposed 37-mile citywide streetcar system could attract up to 7,700 new jobs, raise property values by up to $7 billion and bring in as much as $8 billion in new development over the next decade."

Friday, January 27, 2012 in The Washington Post

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