Yes, this is the real deal. After years of delay and planning and construction mishaps, the long-awaited $200 million, 2.2 mile line streetcar line down H Street began service Saturday. Not all media were kind to the streetcar, even on opening day.
Adam Tuss, transportation reporter for NBC Washington, reports from H Street on the opening ceremony of the long-awaited, $200 million streetcar line.
Mayor Muriel Bowser kicked things off at 10 a.m. with a ceremony at 13th and H streets NE. Regular service began after the speeches
Tuss took a test drive on Friday—but he warns riders to expect delays due to congestion and collisions by motor vehicles, even if not with the streetcar.
"Car crashes needed to be cleared from the path twice during a test ride News4's Adam Tuss took Friday," notes the NBC report.
Initially the streetcar service will be free, but don't expect to catch the streetcar on Sundays—no service, according to Washington Post's FAQ. Expect "average speeds (of) 10 to 15 mph, according to the streetcar’s operations manager," writes Dr. Gridlock. Information is also available on the DC Streetcar website.
The Economist didn't join in the celebratory mood. Their Gulliver Business travel blog piece describes the "catastrophic execution" of the streetcar project. No surprise considering the magazine's 2014 piece on the streetcar titled "Rolling Blunder." Planetizen also chronicled the troubled history of the project, but not today.
Free rides for the first six months. "DDOT will announce the permanent fare policy at the end of the free service period," notes their webpage.
FULL STORY: All Aboard! DC Streetcar Service Starts Saturday
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