Via DDOT.

Via DDOT.

It’s a brave new world, D.C.: we’ve officially entered the era of the streetcar.

Today, the H Street/Benning Road NE streetcar begins simulated service, with eyes for passenger service starting sometime in November. Like the Silver Line’s simulated service, this means that it’ll be operating on its proposed scheduled, except without passengers. Motorists and cyclists: this means you need to start getting used to sharing the road way with the streetcar.

In anticipation of the streetcar’s simulation service, here are a few safety tips per the District Department of Transportation:

  • Streetcars share the roadways, but cannot veer around vehicles.
  • Vehicles, including delivery trucks, should be sure to park within the lines and use designated loading zones. The Department of Public Works is now ticketing and towing vehicles that impede the path of the streetcar.
  • Pedestrians, motorists and bicyclists should use caution as they travel through the corridor.
  • Remember to “Look, Listen, Be Safe!” near streetcar vehicles at all times—look both ways and listen for the streetcar before stepping into the crosswalk.
  • Never walk in front of a moving streetcar.
  • Traffic and pedestrian signals exist for your safety—follow them to ensure your safety.

If all these safety tips seem confusing to you, it’s OK—DDOT is anticipating that, hence why they’ve partnered with Operation Lifesaver, Inc., and the Federal Transit Administration to promote streetcar safety in public schools. Because if we’re still a little confused about streetcar safety, our children sure as hell will be too.

According to a release, the “Look, Listen, Be Safe!,” campaign “is aimed at helping students be safe when interacting with [the] D.C. Streetcar” through a grant that provides educator at schools near H Street NE/Benning Road with “specific lesson plans, activity sheets, and maps with ideas that teachers can incorporate into the classroom.” Additionally, DDOT says they’re planning to conduct “safety assemblies” along the streetcar corridor in October, as well as offer a “webinar” for schools that want to get in on streetcar safety education for their students.

But DDOT’s safety education initiative doesn’t end in schools. They’ll be promoting their “Look, Listen, Be Safe!” campaign during special “boots on the ground” outreach along the streetcar corridor, and there’s stuff on the D.C. Streetcar website promoting safety tips.

While simulation service starts, WMATA says that the X2 bus, which stops frequently around the streetcar route, might be experiencing delays.

However, in an email, WMATA spokesman Dan Stessel says that buses aren’t currently experiencing delays at the moment. “The advisory to X2 customers is just a heads up of the possibility of delays as motorists, buses and streetcars all learn to commingle on this first day of real-world testing,” he writes.

So yeah, let’s all learn to live harmoniously with the streetcar. It will make our lives easier.

Filed Under: benning road, d.c. streetcar, ddot, h street, streetcar,