Council Holds Hearing on Legislation Advancing Streetcars for DC
 
At 2 pm, Wednesday, June 22nd, the Council’s Committee on Public Works and Transportation will hold a public hearing on the “Transportation Infrastructure Amendment Act of 2010” introduced earlier this month by Councilmember Tommy Wells. The legislation will accomplish several needed components to allow streetcars to become operational in the District:

- Repeals the 1888 & 1889 laws that prohibited overhead wires and re-establishes the provisions as local law.

- Creates authority for the Mayor to allow aerial wires to power streetcars, but limits the use of aerial wires to a strictly defined H Street / Benning Road NE segment until a city-wide plan is developed, essentially preserving the aerial wire ban in neighborhoods like historic Capitol Hill and Georgetown, and the federal monumental core.

- Requires the Mayor to submit a report by January 2014 on the feasibility of converting to non-aerial power where any aerial wiring has been installed.

- Requires that any installation of aerial wires must comply with the Height Act and the Mayor must comply with statutory obligations to consult with the Architect of the Capitol, the National Park Service, the Secret Service, and the National Capital Planning Commission where necessary.

As the hearing began, Councilmember Wells issued the following opening statement:

“The legislation sets the stage for powering streetcars on H Street and Benning Road NE and by doing so, represents our next step in connecting our neighborhoods east and west of the River.

Overhead wires are overwhelmingly the most common power system for streetcars around the world -- there are more than 330 cities in 47 countries that use overhead wires for streetcars and light rail systems.   In scores of these cities, streetcars run through historic districts, some of dating back a thousand years. Only two cities, both in France, presently use any alternative to overhead wires, and in both overhead wires are still employed for most of the tracks. 

DDOT is looking at an unobtrusive single-wire technology that minimizes visual impact on the streetscape, which also provides an opportunity to create an iconic design for the poles and brackets that support the wires.

This bill will allow DC to move ahead with a wire line on H Street/Benning Road and will require the Mayor to create a plan for the rest of the L’Enfant City with regard to propulsion. The bill also anticipates converting to non-aerial power where aerial power has been installed, once technology takes us there.

We will undoubtedly hear from people today who oppose overhead wires in the District of Columbia. They will say H Street should wait until technology improves and wireless streetcars can run. They can’t tell us how long that wait would be; the residents and businesses along the H Street/Benning Road corridor have waited long enough. The neighborhoods that border the River have waited long enough. They deserve better transit options and economic growth now.”

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