A Sneak Peak at D.C.'s Streetcar Extension Plans

With the controversy about the value of its newly opened streetcar ongoing, Washington, D.C. has commenced with a planning process for extending the line to Georgetown.

1 minute read

May 18, 2016, 2:00 PM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


D.C. Streetcar

Ritu Manoj Jethani / Shutterstock

David Alpert provides a sneak peak into the proposed plans for the DC streetcar extension. According to Alpert, "planners from the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) [presented] options to extend the existing H Street streetcar route to Georgetown" this week. In addition to a no-build option, the current plan includes two potential configurations: "one in a dedicated lane from Mount Vernon Square to Washington Circle but in mixed traffic the rest of the way, and a new option to use dedicated lanes for almost the whole length." After opening in February 2016, the D.C. streetcar has been one of the prime talking points in discussions about the value of transit planned to share lane space with automobiles.

The dedicated lane is the result of community feedback, according to Alpert: "more and more people argued that without dedicated lanes, the streetcar would not offer a faster ride, making it no more appealing, transportation-wise, than existing bus lines." The article is also but one in a series that Greater Greater Washington calls a "streetcar mega-feature."

Tuesday, May 17, 2016 in Greater Greater Washington

Large blank mall building with only two cars in large parking lot.

Pennsylvania Mall Conversion Bill Passes House

If passed, the bill would promote the adaptive reuse of defunct commercial buildings.

April 18, 2024 - Central Penn Business Journal

Rendering of wildlife crossing over 101 freeway in Los Angeles County.

World's Largest Wildlife Overpass In the Works in Los Angeles County

Caltrans will soon close half of the 101 Freeway in order to continue construction of the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing near Agoura Hills in Los Angeles County.

April 15, 2024 - LAist

Workers putting down asphalt on road.

U.S. Supreme Court: California's Impact Fees May Violate Takings Clause

A California property owner took El Dorado County to state court after paying a traffic impact fee he felt was exorbitant. He lost in trial court, appellate court, and the California Supreme Court denied review. Then the U.S. Supreme Court acted.

April 18, 2024 - Los Angeles Times

View of Dallas city skyline with moderately busy freeway in foreground at twilight.

AI Traffic Management Comes to Dallas-Fort Worth

Several Texas cities are using an AI-powered platform called NoTraffic to help manage traffic signals to increase safety and improve traffic flow.

39 minutes ago - Dallas Morning News

View from back of BART Police SUV driving down street in San Francisco, California.

Podcast: Addressing the Root Causes of Transit Violence

Deploying transit police is a short-term fix. How can transit agencies build sustainable safety efforts?

1 hour ago - Streetsblog USA

Sunset view of downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota skyline.

Minneapolis as a Model for Housing Affordability

Through a combination of policies, the city has managed to limit the severity of the nationwide housing crisis.

2 hours ago - Brown Political Review

News from HUD User

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Call for Speakers

Mpact Transit + Community

New Updates on PD&R Edge

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.