Vince Gray Says the Streetcar Will Start Running January 19

Vince Gray won’t be the DC mayor who gets to cut the ribbon on the DC Streetcar, but in one last news dump, Gray is giving the long-overdue H Street, Northeast, trolley an opening date.

The streetcar, after years of planning, construction, and safety testing, is on track to begin passenger service the week of January 19, Gray says in one final news dump.

“Safety continues to be our top priority,” Gray, who leaves office Friday, says in a press release. “And while we know that the first day of service is going to be a great day for District residents, we don’t want to rush for the sake of rushing.”

The streetcar, a 2.5-mile route that runs along H Street and Benning Road, had its ceremonial groundbreaking under Mayor Anthony Williams. The tracks were laid down under Mayor Adrian Fenty’s administration, with the electrical and other infrastructural work completed under Gray. Now it’ll be up to Muriel Bowser, the streetcar program’s fourth mayor, to make Gray’s deadline.

Find Benjamin Freed on Twitter at @brfreed.

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.