Washington, DC Inset
Click numbered buttons for line-specific information.





1: Streetcar Network Return to the map
Light Rail / BRT 2010

WMATA has proposed reintroducing trolleys to the streets of Washington. Some routes will be Light Rail while others could be Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) - buses that look and act like trains, but are cheaper and somewhat less effective. For these lines BeyondDC has only been able to determine start and end points, sometimes with one or two middle points, therefore the routes shown might not be 100% exact.

The following routes will make up the first wave of Washington streetcars.

  • Anacostia Waterfront to Minnesota Avenue
  • Silver Spring to Minnesota Avenue via Georgia Avenue
  • Woodley Park to Minnesota Avenue
  • Georgetown to Minnesota Avenue via Union Station
  • National Harbor to Minnesota Avenue
  • South Capitol Street corridor

2: Wisconsin Avenue and Key Bridge Return to the map
Light Rail / BRT Speculated

It's reasonable to assume that the initial streetcar network proposed by WMATA will eventually be expanded to include additional lines. However, since the network itself is new, BeyondDC can't justifiably predict where all the expansion lines will be. Almost certainly there will be more than are indicated on this map.

Wisconsin Avenue is one possibility, since it's a major street unserved by the initial system, but it is by no means a sure thing nor are other streets unlikely to get lines.

Considering the desire to provide a second route from Rosslyn to RFK Stadium and relieve congestion on the Metro Blue / Orange line downtown, it seems odd that a streetcar on or parallel to the Key Bridge connecting Georgetown and Rosslyn wasn't included in the WMATA 10 year plan. It therefore seems to BeyondDC such a connection would be among the first expansions from the original system.

3: New Hampshire Avenue Return to the map
Light Rail / BRT Speculated

Though not on any current plans, Maryland would like to see significant transit services extend from the Georgia Avenue Metro station in Washington up New Hampshire Avenue before connecting with a future line along Route 29 in Montgomery County.