Photo by Andrew Bossi

So, Streetcars won’t run on H Street and Benning Road NE before the end of this year. Is anyone surprised? Anyone? No?

As WTOP and Greater Greater Washington first reported, streetcar service won’t begin until 2014, in part, because of the delayed arrival of the two final streetcars.

In a release from the D.C. Department of Transportation today, officials report that streetcar testing will begin in December – without any passengers on board.

“This process involves several critical steps, will take several months to complete, and is intended to ensure that the operation of our vehicles is safe for use by all who interact with the system,” DDOT director Terry Bellamy said in the release. “It also provides our streetcar operators with the ability to operate these vehicles under live traffic conditions along the H Street/Benning Road corridor and allows pedestrians and motorists the chance to experience first-hand how the streetcar system will work once passenger service starts. This is a critical phase of the project that we can’t afford to rush. Construction completion and system testing and integration will clear the way for passengers to use the system confidently—and safely. ”

Indeed, adding in another moving, very large element to the H Street Corridor is going to be an adjustment for everyone.

Before testing begins in December, construction must first be completed, naturally: ” Currently, DDOT is performing final design and construction for streetcar turnarounds, Car Barn Training Center (CBTC), installation of poles and overhead wires, track installation for turnarounds/pocket tracks and final work for turnarounds.” When this is complete, three cars currently housed in Anacostia will be rolled out, followed by a fourth that will be delivered from Oregon in December. A fifth car will be delivered in January.