Almost 50 years after streetcars last operated in the District, their return is now within sight. The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) has started construction of a new streetcar line in Anacostia that is expected to start revenue-service by the fall of 2012, tracks are being laid on H Street and Benning Road for a second line, and planning is underway for additional segments across the city.

The DC Streetcar will make travel within the District much easier for residents, workers and visitors, and it will complement the existing transit options. Although the Metrorail system does an exemplary job of connecting the District to the rest of the region, it was not designed to connect neighborhoods. The DC Streetcar will do that and it will bring tremendous benefits to the communities it serves.

DDOT has committed to providing regular updates to the community on the progress of the streetcar program:

• On January 12, 2011 a new website for the DC Streetcar launches. Go online to www.dcstreetcar.com.
• In October 2010, DDOT has presented an updated comprehensive DC Streetcar System Plan to the DC Council for review and approval. The document specifies how DDOT plans to complete the two streetcar lines already under construction, the H Street/Benning Rd Line and the Anacostia Initial Line Segment.
• On April 20, 2010, DDOT staff returned to the community to update residents on the overall streetcar program and to present new details about the H Street/Benning Road Initiative ^[PDF]. The materials from that meeting are posted below in the Related Documents section.
• DDOT, in partnership with the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), has developed the DC's Transit Future System Plan, Final Report (April 2010) ^[PDF]
• In October 2009, the department hosted a series of open houses ^[PDF] to provide residents with details about the current construction and the recommendations for future transit improvements. You can review the information that was presented below under Related Documents.