The “soft” part of the launch of the city’s new Circulator bus routes came to an end today, as D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty, D.C. Council member Jim Graham (D-Ward 1), and DDOT acting director Gabe Klein all came out to 18th Street and Columbia Road NW this morning for an official ceremony to kickoff the new bus lines.

The routes replace the now discontinued 98 and N22 Metrobus routes, while adding additional connectivity between downtown, U Street, Columbia Heights and Mt. Pleasant on the Woodley Park/Adams Morgan – McPherson Square route.

“We’re saying to District of Columbia residents, as much as possible, get out of your cars,” Mayor Fenty said at the ceremony this morning.

In a funnier moment of the otherwise standard ribbon cutting event-style remarks, Council member Graham alluded to his receiving criticism for his reliance on his personal automobile.

“Jim Graham, did you hear that? Whoops!” Graham said of himself.