Still No Projected Start Date for the Streetcar

The head of the District Department of Transportation declined again today to provide a target date for the start of H Street Streetcar service.

DDOT Acting Director Leif Dormsjo said at a D.C. Council hearing this afternoon that his office is focused on ensuring the streetcar is ready to operate, however long that may take.

“I want to let the facts drive when that verification can be achieved,” he said. “It’s not worth the investment if it’s not a good service.”

Dormsjo said he’s working to coordinate work on the streetcar and Union Station.

“It would be a huge mistake to not think through how the streetcar serves that station,” he said.

The safety of the streetcar is still being reviewed by the State Safety Oversight Office, which is housed within the D.C. Department of Fire and Emergency Medical Services. DDOT and the oversight office have struggled over safety documentation, The Washington Post reported. The oversight office accused DDOT of filing misleading documentation, which DDOT denied.