Here Are Four Possible Routes for a North-South DC Streetcar

Mayor Vince Gray says the DC Council’s new budget, which halves the funds for the streetcar project from $800 million to $400 million “kills the streetcar.”  Council Chairman Phil Mendelson says the Council’s cuts won’t derail the long-term plans.

Meanwhile, District transportation planners are still moving ahead with plans for the project’s next phase, a north-south line connecting Buzzard Point in Southwest DC with Takoma or Silver Spring.

The District Department of Transportation published four final proposed routes for the north-south route on Tuesday, and while there are unique details on each submission, it’s clear the city wants plans to run streetcars along a long segment of Georgia Avenue through U Street, Petworth, and points further north.

The first proposal is pretty much a straight line up Seventh Street and Georgia Avenue, ending on the District’s border with Silver Spring; the second would cut over to 14th Street, run along 14th to U Street, and cut over on U before heading up Georgia; the third route would run a bit on 11th Street; and the fourth would go on Ninth Street. The routes using 14th Street and 11th Street would also end in Takoma rather than continue all the way to Maryland.

DDOT is presenting the proposals to the public at multiple events this week.

North-South streetcar proposals

Benjamin Freed

Staff Writer

Benjamin Freed joined Washingtonian in August 2013 and covers politics, business, and media. He was previously the editor of DCist and has also written for Washington City Paper, the New York Times, the New Republic, Slate, and BuzzFeed. He lives in Adams Morgan.