Sneak Peek at New DC Streetcars

New streetcars arrive from Czech Republic

By MARK STEPHENS

Updated 8:30 PM EDT, Wed, Dec 16, 2009

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What's old is new again in Washington, D.C. Streetcars are making a comeback.

This past weekend, the first of the streetcars that are expected to run on new tracks in the city were delivered to the District Department of Transportation.

The three streetcars arrived in port at Baltimore from the Czech Republic and are now being stored at Metro's rail yard in Greenbelt, Md.

Workers will restore the cars to their normal configuration and test them to ensure they're in good working order. That process could take several weeks. DDOT will hold a public event early next year to debut the vehicles.

"The residents of the District of Columbia own these streetcars, and we want to give them a chance to see them up close for themselves," said DDOT Director Gabe Klein.

The streetcars are expected to officially be on the streets in the fall of 2012.

First Published: Dec 16, 2009 7:32 PM EDT

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OLDEST | RECENT

{"totSize":7,"payload_type":"json","status":"1","results":[{"anonName":null,"pathToMedia":"331759_79457117","adminTags":null,"views":7,"createdBy":7918844,"createdByPathToPhoto":"116995/icons/defaultMember_116995_portrait.jpg","assocMediaId":3006610,"mediaName":"Sneak Peek at New DC Streetcars","parentThreadId":-1,"mediaId":3006610,"tags":null,"anonSiteUrl":null,"assocMediaType":"externalmedia","createdAt":"17 Dec 2009 01:36:10 GMT","anonEmail":null,"isVisible":true,"approved":true,"numComments":7,"reviewed":true,"createdByUsername":"anonymous_user","pathToPreview":"","mediaType":"EXTERNALMEDIA","commentId":"1419466","subject":"","averageRating":0,"body":"Since when do you buy something three years before you need it? I bet they will be rusted and in need of millions in repairs by the time the are needed. Dumb D.C. govt."},{"anonName":null,"pathToMedia":"331759_79457117","adminTags":null,"views":7,"createdBy":12918024,"createdByPathToPhoto":"116995/icons/defaultMember_116995_portrait.jpg","assocMediaId":3006610,"mediaName":"Sneak Peek at New DC Streetcars","parentThreadId":-1,"mediaId":3006610,"tags":null,"anonSiteUrl":null,"assocMediaType":"externalmedia","createdAt":"17 Dec 2009 13:28:05 GMT","anonEmail":null,"isVisible":true,"approved":true,"numComments":7,"reviewed":true,"createdByUsername":"ALKO","pathToPreview":"","mediaType":"EXTERNALMEDIA","commentId":"1421271","subject":"","averageRating":0,"body":"D.C. will spend a bunch of money on street cars....but hold up....THE STREETS ARE MESSED UP!!! How about go and repave the existing streets before you go putting in street cars. I'm starting to see a trend here...D.C. wills pend money on a bunch of bogus crap (i.e. street cars, bike station), while ignoring whats necessary! You wanna cut teachers jobs and say its to save money yet you use tax payers dollars to fund bike stations and street cars. "},{"anonName":null,"pathToMedia":"331759_79457117","adminTags":null,"views":7,"createdBy":13059106,"createdByPathToPhoto":"116995/icons/defaultMember_116995_portrait.jpg","assocMediaId":3006610,"mediaName":"Sneak Peek at New DC Streetcars","parentThreadId":-1,"mediaId":3006610,"tags":null,"anonSiteUrl":null,"assocMediaType":"externalmedia","createdAt":"17 Dec 2009 14:21:04 GMT","anonEmail":null,"isVisible":true,"approved":true,"numComments":7,"reviewed":true,"createdByUsername":"Mikhail","pathToPreview":"","mediaType":"EXTERNALMEDIA","commentId":"1421704","subject":"","averageRating":0,"body":"While I know its very tempting to complain about anything new and unknown...lets not be so shortsighted here. To address the first comment - no, they won't be rusted and in need of millions of repairs and just fyi, unless this street car has been in some serious accident that will require its complete rehabilitation - it doesn't cost a million to repair. <br /><br />Progress is necessary, even in times when teachers jobs are cut (insert another cliche complaint here). They are actually repaving existing streets together with putting in streetcar track (H St). So hey - it might not be so bad afterall. I am glad DC decided to do this and I fully support it."},{"anonName":null,"pathToMedia":"331759_79457117","adminTags":null,"views":7,"createdBy":12918024,"createdByPathToPhoto":"116995/icons/defaultMember_116995_portrait.jpg","assocMediaId":3006610,"mediaName":"Sneak Peek at New DC Streetcars","parentThreadId":-1,"mediaId":3006610,"tags":null,"anonSiteUrl":null,"assocMediaType":"externalmedia","createdAt":"17 Dec 2009 14:42:08 GMT","anonEmail":null,"isVisible":true,"approved":true,"numComments":7,"reviewed":true,"createdByUsername":"ALKO","pathToPreview":"","mediaType":"EXTERNALMEDIA","commentId":"1421914","subject":"","averageRating":0,"body":"Mikhail...I would support this if D.C. didn't have so many problems. Cutting teachers to same money has a huge impact but then turn around and hold a press conference about a bike shop that costs a ridiculous amount of money using, and these are the words of the mayor, "SOME" tax payers dollars. If you ride down ANY D.C. street your car suffers because the roads are horrible. We need someone who will focus on the needs of the community and not the interest of himself or his constituents. I dont see how street cars or a bike station will be necessary for growth or progress. Just like the bike shop...street cars are just an attraction. Hire back those teachers...atleast the ones that didn't have a poor rating...and make progress with the youth...THEY'RE the ones who need to "progress." They're the ones who are our future....give them a chance instead of some street car or bike station. "},{"anonName":null,"pathToMedia":"331759_79457117","adminTags":null,"views":7,"createdBy":13059106,"createdByPathToPhoto":"116995/icons/defaultMember_116995_portrait.jpg","assocMediaId":3006610,"mediaName":"Sneak Peek at New DC Streetcars","parentThreadId":-1,"mediaId":3006610,"tags":null,"anonSiteUrl":null,"assocMediaType":"externalmedia","createdAt":"17 Dec 2009 16:28:48 GMT","anonEmail":null,"isVisible":true,"approved":true,"numComments":7,"reviewed":true,"createdByUsername":"Mikhail","pathToPreview":"","mediaType":"EXTERNALMEDIA","commentId":"1423138","subject":"","averageRating":0,"body":"Streetcars are not an attraction. Just look at Portland, Oregon, Boston, Seattle, even New Orleans. They do in fact help with revitalization of communities among other things for one simple reason. They take up the same amount of space on the road as 3 SUVs, yet they can move up to 250-300 people. To dumb it down: more people in the neighborhoods - more businesses, more businesses - more taxes, so give them a chance. Comparing school system and transportation infrastructure is like comparing apples to oranges. You need to invest in both. You have a GREAT point that I fully support and I don't think one has to be done by sacrificing the other. DC Public Schools have been a cluster%*!@ for quite sometime now and they are not gonna get fixed overnight obviously, but I just don't think all other projects have to be put on hold because of this."},{"anonName":null,"pathToMedia":"331759_79457117","adminTags":null,"views":7,"createdBy":12918024,"createdByPathToPhoto":"116995/icons/defaultMember_116995_portrait.jpg","assocMediaId":3006610,"mediaName":"Sneak Peek at New DC Streetcars","parentThreadId":-1,"mediaId":3006610,"tags":null,"anonSiteUrl":null,"assocMediaType":"externalmedia","createdAt":"17 Dec 2009 19:29:54 GMT","anonEmail":null,"isVisible":true,"approved":true,"numComments":7,"reviewed":true,"createdByUsername":"ALKO","pathToPreview":"","mediaType":"EXTERNALMEDIA","commentId":"1425204","subject":"","averageRating":0,"body":"Oh no doubt...I agree with street cars being able to move hundreds of people throughout the day its almost the same as the bus or the subway. But the Mayor and D.C. needs to focus on issues that demand 100% attention. Not saying other projects need to be put on hold but at the same time, when you've got schools closing, teachers being fired "to save funding," but yet you're investing money into a $4 Million bike station (that tax payers have to foot some of that bill), and whatever astronomical cost for these street cars, all the while people are losing their jobs and kids are losing their teachers, priorities here look really effed up. Again...invest in the kids...invest in schools, invest in more jobs-real jobs...for the man that has to figure out how to tell his wife and kids they're about to live in the street, or for the woman who got that pink slip, for something that she has a passion for (because you know teachers aren't necessarily doing it for the dough). Basically what i'm saying is that Mayor Fenty has his priorities screwed up. Ever wondered why Marion Barry was re-elected, even after his drug conviction?....its because in his civic role, he looked out for the citizens of D.C."},{"anonName":null,"pathToMedia":"331759_79457117","adminTags":null,"views":7,"createdBy":12918024,"createdByPathToPhoto":"116995/icons/defaultMember_116995_portrait.jpg","assocMediaId":3006610,"mediaName":"Sneak Peek at New DC Streetcars","parentThreadId":-1,"mediaId":3006610,"tags":null,"anonSiteUrl":null,"assocMediaType":"externalmedia","createdAt":"17 Dec 2009 19:36:49 GMT","anonEmail":null,"isVisible":true,"approved":true,"numComments":7,"reviewed":true,"createdByUsername":"ALKO","pathToPreview":"","mediaType":"EXTERNALMEDIA","commentId":"1425270","subject":"","averageRating":0,"body":"....after doing some research the "first segment is expected to cost about $25 million"...the FIRST SEGEMENT. They say the street cars alone cost $1o Million. I wonder who is footing the bill on this. Do you know what $25 million would do for schools??? Add the $4 million it cost to construct the bike station to this and you can do some amazing things with the education system. Come on now....PRIORITIES!!!!<br /><br />http://www.wtop.com/?nid=25&sid=1610001"}],"error":"","totPages":1}

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