Via DDOT.

In an announcement surprising almost no one, the start date for passenger service for the H Street-Benning Road NE streetcar has been delayed once again.

After missing former mayor Vince Gray’s commitment for service starting before the end of his term, Gray announced in his last days in office that the start date for service has been delayed, with expectations it would begin the week of January 19th.

Well, looks like that target date has been pushed back. In a statement from District Department of Transportation Acting Director Leif Dormsjo, the start date for service has been pushed back, but a new start date has not been announced.

“[G]iven 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,” Dormsjo says.

Recently, safety concerns and compliance review issues have caused delays for the streetcar. Since it began simulation service months ago, the streetcar has been involved in eight incidents. Below is the full statement from Dormsjo:

“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.”