Far be it from me to be the A-hole out there, but hell that's my job. But some one please tell me what sense it makes for DC to have the street cars built over seas and then held. Meaning we pay a storage fee while they sit there until we build the tracks. Why not use better project planning and have JIT supply of street cars.
I am really tired of paying for stuff that proper planning could have avoided.
The news article linked-to says the cars are intended to run from Anacostia Metro to Bolling AFB. Huh? Did I miss something? I thought Minnesota Avenue was the first place they were supposed to go, with H Street second. I've never heard anything about Anacostia-to-Bolling until now. Did I miss a plan change?
Emeka Monome says there's no timetable for when the rails will get put in, but that he'd like to have the streetcars by this summer. I guess it's cheaper to store them indefinitely here?
I noticed that H St street work or street scaping was not in the '08-'09 budget. I asked Omar about this and he thought it was because it had already been budgeted in '07-'08 budget. Hopefully someone can clarify. Is this what you're referring to PooPoo?
Isn't the method by which these cars are supposed to be powered still under debate? How were these streetcars completed if they don't even know if they will be powered by gas, overhead electric, underground electric, etc?
Maybe I can get DC to give me $10 million to build a floating parking garage for those flying cars we're all going to have ... sigh
If they are going to Bolling, why not a couple more miles to the Naval Research Lab where I work. Or extend to the Washing Harbor monstrosity on the other side of the approach to the Wilson Bridge?
Rather than let the street cars rot in a lot in the CR why not lease them to Prague? Most of Prague's streetcars are very old. (They have a great old system though.)
As a friend of mine said when I sent him the article, "let's hijack 'em". So, if that stretch of tracks is delayed for some reason, honestly, is there a way to rush our tracks and get Wells to "steal" the cars? I'm kinda kidding, but kinda serious too. If they're out of the same DC budget, can't they be used for the H Street project and they can have ours (still in production as far as I know). I'm probably being naive, and just dreaming...
According to an Examiner article, it doesn’t appear that the street car on H will be powered by overhead electric (which is what I think DDOT originally intended). The federal government informed DC officials that any planned streetcar lines within historic Washington that features overhead power lines would violate federal law and threaten the open character and scenic views of D.C. streets. H st. falls within historic L’Enfant City so this could mean possible delays for the line.
That's crap. There used to be street cars, why not now? Many of the great capitals of the world have street cars and somehow still draw tourists. Robby-The Czechs build great trams! Tesim se na den, kdy budu moct jet do prace ceske tramvaji tady v Americe! :-D
I hope Mr. Fenty can use his powers of persuasion and get some kind of waiver from the Feds.
I still vote for the in-ground electric lines. If they are marked and people electricute themselves so be it. It will probably just be some drunk hipsters from R&R hotel. Easily replaceable.
Speaking of H St. and streetcars... I was just listening to Politics Hour on the Kojo Nnamdi Show and they were interviewing Mayor Fenty on a number of DC issues. DC streetcars were brought up and this is what he said: (and I quote) "It looks like the H St. Corridor may be first, to be able to use the cars (streetcars), but Martin Luther King Ave. could be first or maybe right behind them."
I think they archive all their shows, so you can hear it for yourself at kojoshow.org...
Unfortunately, it is true that overhead electric is prohibited.
I'm pretty sure the Feds passed the law prohibiting overhead electric wires around the time that the streetcars stopped running--I don't know if it was to get them off the street, or once they were gone to prevent their return.
Even if I'm completely off on the timing, the law is definitely in effect.
You know, this might not get a positive reaction from the crowd, but given the new ballpark and ferry system and developments coming up in SE, wouldn't it be better for the city in general for Anacostia to get the streetcars first?
25 comments:
Far be it from me to be the A-hole out there, but hell that's my job. But some one please tell me what sense it makes for DC to have the street cars built over seas and then held. Meaning we pay a storage fee while they sit there until we build the tracks. Why not use better project planning and have JIT supply of street cars.
I am really tired of paying for stuff that proper planning could have avoided.
-Robby
The news article linked-to says the cars are intended to run from Anacostia Metro to Bolling AFB. Huh? Did I miss something? I thought Minnesota Avenue was the first place they were supposed to go, with H Street second. I've never heard anything about Anacostia-to-Bolling until now. Did I miss a plan change?
Emeka Monome says there's no timetable for when the rails will get put in, but that he'd like to have the streetcars by this summer. I guess it's cheaper to store them indefinitely here?
Sigh.
These particular cars are for a separate line. The Anacostia line is ahead of the H Street line.
trust me, the story gets worse. just wait.
Inked -- yeah, but this doesn't seem like the Anacostia line (which I understood was to run up and down Minnesota Avenue). Did I have that wrong?
look at the line items in the budget.
Would this be the same thing that Omar on ANC Transportation Committee sent around the other day?
http://newsroom. dc.gov/show. aspx/agency/ ddot/section/ 1/release/ 13407
I noticed that H St street work or street scaping was not in the '08-'09 budget. I asked Omar about this and he thought it was because it had already been budgeted in '07-'08 budget. Hopefully someone can clarify. Is this what you're referring to PooPoo?
Isn't the method by which these cars are supposed to be powered still under debate? How were these streetcars completed if they don't even know if they will be powered by gas, overhead electric, underground electric, etc?
Maybe I can get DC to give me $10 million to build a floating parking garage for those flying cars we're all going to have ... sigh
If they are going to Bolling, why not a couple more miles to the Naval Research Lab where I work. Or extend to the Washing Harbor monstrosity on the other side of the approach to the Wilson Bridge?
Rather than let the street cars rot in a lot in the CR why not lease them to Prague? Most of Prague's streetcars are very old. (They have a great old system though.)
http://www.wmata.com/about/met_news/PressReleaseDetail.cfm?ReleaseID=569
anacostia to bolling.
As a friend of mine said when I sent him the article, "let's hijack 'em". So, if that stretch of tracks is delayed for some reason, honestly, is there a way to rush our tracks and get Wells to "steal" the cars? I'm kinda kidding, but kinda serious too. If they're out of the same DC budget, can't they be used for the H Street project and they can have ours (still in production as far as I know). I'm probably being naive, and just dreaming...
According to an Examiner article, it doesn’t appear that the street car on H will be powered by overhead electric (which is what I think DDOT originally intended). The federal government informed DC officials that any planned streetcar lines within historic Washington that features overhead power lines would violate federal law and threaten the open character and scenic views of D.C. streets. H st. falls within historic L’Enfant City so this could mean possible delays for the line.
That's crap. There used to be street cars, why not now? Many of the great capitals of the world have street cars and somehow still draw tourists.
Robby-The Czechs build great trams! Tesim se na den, kdy budu moct jet do prace ceske tramvaji tady v Americe! :-D
I hope Mr. Fenty can use his powers of persuasion and get some kind of waiver from the Feds.
Perhaps if Washington was " great capitals of the world", the streetcars would have never been removed in the first place.
I'm sure the cars are MUCH HAPPIER with their views of the Vltava than suffering thru Benning Road and H St.
And why do we get streetcars that look like some bastardization of the freeking Circulator bus while San Francisco's cars look like this:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/17921858@N00/24342393/
We're better of leaving these dogs in Praha.
I still vote for the in-ground electric lines. If they are marked and people electricute themselves so be it. It will probably just be some drunk hipsters from R&R hotel. Easily replaceable.
what happened to this, a mere 12 weeks ago:
http://www.wjla.com/news/stories/0108/492461.html
until we here otherwise from the city, i believe this is still the plan.
Speaking of H St. and streetcars...
I was just listening to Politics Hour on the Kojo Nnamdi Show and they were interviewing Mayor Fenty on a number of DC issues. DC streetcars were brought up and this is what he said: (and I quote)
"It looks like the H St. Corridor may be first, to be able to use the cars (streetcars), but Martin Luther King Ave. could be first or maybe right behind them."
I think they archive all their shows, so you can hear it for yourself at kojoshow.org...
The mayor was on the Kojo Nnamdi show today, and he said that the H St/Benning Rd corridor MAY get streetcars before Anacostia/MLK Blvd.
The audio of the show will show up in a little while here:
http://wamu.org/programs/kn/
uh oh. competition's on! go anacostia!
Rob,
Unfortunately, it is true that overhead electric is prohibited.
I'm pretty sure the Feds passed the law prohibiting overhead electric wires around the time that the streetcars stopped running--I don't know if it was to get them off the street, or once they were gone to prevent their return.
Even if I'm completely off on the timing, the law is definitely in effect.
You know, this might not get a positive reaction from the crowd, but given the new ballpark and ferry system and developments coming up in SE, wouldn't it be better for the city in general for Anacostia to get the streetcars first?
"wouldn't it be better for the city in general for Anacostia to get the streetcars first?"
Yes - if you owned property over there.
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