D.C. eyes 2026 for streetcar extension

The D.C. streetcar extension to the Benning Road Metro station would open in 2026 for service under current plans, DDOT officials said Tuesday.

Driving the news: The roughly $200 million project includes a two-mile extension of the streetcar and bridge work on Benning Road NE, from Oklahoma Avenue to East Capitol Street. 

• Bicycle and pedestrian improvements are also being delivered in the project. 

Ronaldo Nicholson of DDOT said in an online public meeting that lane closures during construction will be phased to accommodate access for pedestrians, bicyclists, transit vehicles, and cars.

• “Sometimes you have to have a little pain to have gain,” he said about the construction disruptions.

The streetcar won’t run on a dedicated lane, similar to how it operates on much of H Street within traffic. Nicholson said creating a separate lane would have required acquiring private property for space.