(Washington, DC) The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) today announced it has selected a Program Management Team for DC Streetcar. The team will provide a full range of services to ensure the successful design, construction, and operation of the streetcar system across the District of Columbia. The team is comprised of several firms led by Shiels Obletz Johnsen, Inc. and HDR Engineering.

“The team members have unrivaled experience developing and managing streetcar systems in cities across the nation,” said DDOT Director Gabe Klein. “Having them on board gives us tremendous confidence that the extensive planning we’ve already begun will lead to a DC Streetcar system that is well designed, funded, built and operated.”

The District is planning a 37 mile, 8 line streetcar system, and construction on two lines has already started, in Anacostia and in Northeast DC. Service is scheduled to begin in 2012.

The Progressive Transportation Services Administration (PTSA) within DDOT will be managing the Program Management contract. PTSA will begin working with the Program Management Team immediately on the following tasks:

• National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) compliance
• Operator selection
• Vehicle procurement
• Financial plan
• Governance

DDOT has also assembled a top notch staff of in-house experts to work on the Streetcar project, including Chief Engineer Ronaldo “Nick” Nicholson, Chief Engineer for Rail Ildefonso Burgos and PTSA Deputy Director Ralph Burns.

Program Management Team

The selected team provides specialized experience and capabilities in program management, planning, operations, financial planning, legal support, strategic and project communications, governance and management, and procurement.

Shiels Obletz Johnsen successfully delivered on two major streetcar projects in Portland and Seattle, managing all aspects of the projects from planning, design and construction oversight, finance, technical issues, intergovernmental agreements, operations, safety, legal and strategic communications. Rick Gustafson of Shiels Obletz Johnsen will serve as the Project Principal.

HDR Engineering, Inc. has clients around the nation and has been successful in delivering Small Starts and New Starts projects from initial planning through final design and construction. Most recently, HDR secured federal TIGER funds for the construction of streetcar projects in Tucson and New Orleans, where they are also providing planning, NEPA, design, preliminary engineering, and program management services. David Vozzolo of HDR will serve as the Program Director for the project.

ZGF Architects LLP offers services in planning, urban design, architecture and interior design. Nationally recognized for their transportation and urban design projects; one of their most notable projects is the planning and design of the Portland, Oregon streetcar project and the formation of a public/private consortium formed to design, build and operate the Portland system.

Jeffrey A. Parker (JPA) is a consultant firm that has deep expertise in traditional US public finance tools, complex procurements and Public-Private Partnerships (“PPP”). Having worked extensively on mass transit, highways, and intermodal projects, JPA has experience with all components of transportation funding: state and local grants, intergovernmental funding agreements and compacts, dedicated taxes, user fees, ancillary revenue, federal grants and credit programs, municipal, non-profit corporation and conduit debt, and financing via PPP.

Other members of the core team include LTK Engineering Services Inc (engineering), Ball Janik LLP (government relations), Andrea Ferster Law Offices (legal), and Collaborative Strategies LLC (communications). These team members are based in the District of Columbia or have offices in the city.

For more information about the District’s Streetcar Program, visit ddot.dc.gov/DCStreetcar.