The D.C. Department of Transportation will start training streetcar operators in real-time traffic Aug. 4 along H Street and Benning Road, the first segment of the new D.C. streetcar system to offer passenger service later this year.
The first 2.4-mile long segment of the D.C. streetcar rail extends from Oklahoma Ave., NW, to Union Station, making multiple stops along H Street and Benning Road. Each operator will train with supervisors under various traffic scenarios as a part of the certification process to carry passengers.
D.C. Transportation Officials said that drivers, pedestrians and bicyclists are advised to use caution when travelling along the H Street corridor as the streetcars will now begin operating.
“Remember to ‘Look, Listen, Be Safe!’ around streetcar vehicles at all times – look both ways and listen for the streetcar before stepping into the crosswalk, and never walk in front of a moving streetcar,” said a DDOT official.
Also be alert that vehicles will now be ticketed and towed that are parked in the streetcar’s path, including cars parked outside the white lines and illegally double-parked cars.
For more information about the new streetcars, visit dcstreetcar.com.
