“The Writing on the Bus”
On January 2, 2026, DC Streetcar (United Streetcar Model 100) #202 and #203 sit at Oklahoma Avenue, the eastern terminus of the H Street–Benning Road Line in Washington, DC, as their soon-to-be permanent replacement, Metrobus D20, passes by. Although the streetcar restored rail transit to the H Street corridor, the D20 bus unfortunately offers a more flexible service pattern, operating over a longer distance (as seen in this photo) and often moving more efficiently through mixed street traffic than the fixed-rail streetcar line.
With service reductions beginning on January 4 as part of the system’s planned shutdown, January 2 marked the final weekday of full regular service on the line. The DC Streetcar, which began operating in 2016 along the 2.2-mile corridor between Union Station and Oklahoma Avenue, is scheduled to cease operations entirely on March 31, 2026, bringing an end to nearly a decade of streetcar service along the H Street corridor.