Photo by DC Streetcar.

Update: In a press release, DDOT says it will close “the eastbound and westbound lanes of H Street NE, between North Capitol Street and 5th Street NE, from Friday, December 13 at 7 p.m. to 1 a.m. on Saturday, December 14, 2013. The closure is to allow for the delivery of the first streetcar from the testing facility in Anacostia to H Street NE to begin the functional testing process.” Pedestrian access, as well as access to establishments and Union Station’s garage, will not be affected.

It will take approximately three hours to unload the streetcar.

Original post

An actual, real-life streetcar will make an appearance on H Street NE as soon as this week, barring any weather issues.

NBC4 reports that the D.C. Department of Transportation will move a streetcar from the Anacostia facility to H Street NE near Union Station on Friday. Testing will begin on either Saturday or Monday.

After years of delays, DDOT said in November that streetcar service on the H Street-Benning Road line would begin sometime in 2014. First, testing must take place to get people on the busy corridor — known for its love of jaywalking and double-parking — accustomed to the streetcar. After completion of a certification process, which could take months, passenger service can begin after 30 days. Mayor Vince Gray, however, promised passenger service by February, a goal DDOT says they will work to meet.

DDOT has already tested a hi-rail vehicle, which simulates what a streetcar does, on H Street NE. It took an hour to go five blocks. Another test is scheduled for today.

Filed Under: ddot, h street NE, streetcar,