Streetcar Service Won’t Start Next Week, DDOT Confirms

Locals will have to wait longer to ride the streetcar.

Leif Dormsjo, acting director of the District Department of Transportation, said this afternoon that the department won’t set “arbitrary deadlines” for project milestones and the launch of service.

Mayor Vincent Gray said earlier this month that passenger service would begin the week of Jan. 19.

Here’s the statement DDOT released:

“Passenger safety is the number one priority for public transportation in the District of Columbia. Further, given the need to achieve safety certification, the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) will not set arbitrary deadlines for the independent State Safety Office (SSO) to complete their regulatory compliance review. The Bowser Administration will work to launch the H Street line of DC Streetcar as part of our effort to expand the District’s transportation infrastructure and will put this long-delayed line on track. DDOT will continue to work with the independent SSO to ensure that Streetcar meets – and exceeds – all safety specifications before setting an official date to begin passenger service.”

DDOT and the State Safety Oversight Office have struggled over safety documentation, The Washington Post reported. The oversight office has accused DDOT of filing misleading documentation.

Photo via DDOT