The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) is pleased to release the most recent concept renderings for the Car Barn Training Center ^[PDF] to be located at the corner of 26th Street and Benning, adjacent to the campus of Spingarn High School.

These renderings were reviewed by the Commission of Fine Arts on Thursday, February 21, 2013 and will be presented to the Historic Preservation Review Board (HPRB) by DDOT on Thursday, February 28, 2013 at 10:15 am. View the complete HPRB agenda.

Just over 50 years after streetcars last operated in the District, their return is now within sight. The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) is finalizing plans to complete the H Street/Benning Road line, expected to start revenue-service in the latter half of 2013. Planning is underway for additional segments in Anacostia and 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 just that and will bring tremendous benefits to the communities it serves. Mayor Vincent C. Gray established the Streetcar Financing and Governance Task Force in 2012 to provide guidance and to develop recommendations for the governance and financing of the DC Streetcar system. The Task Force is focused on advancing the 22-mile Priority Streetcar System through innovative approaches to finance, governance, legislation, and infrastructure.  

For the latest information on DC Streetcar visit www.dcstreetcar.com .

Objectives:

• Link neighborhoods with a modern, convenient and attractive transportation alternative.
• Provide quality service to attract and reach new transit ridership.
• Offer a broader range of transit options for District residents.
• Reduce short inner-city auto trips, parking demand, traffic congestion and air pollution.
• Encourage economic development and affordable housing options along streetcar corridors.

Background:

• 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.