by Andrew Grahl and Raymond Mercado/photos as noted
After only 10 years of passenger service, the $200 million, DC Streetcar made its last trip on Tuesday, March 31, 2026. The fare-free 2.2-mile line featured eight stations along H Street NE and Benning Road NE, extending from behind Washington Union Station east to Benning Road NE at Oklahoma Avenue NE.
DC Streetcar started service on Saturday, February 27, 2016, following a well-attended opening ceremony with speeches by many politicians including DC Mayor Muriel Bowser. A little more than 10 years later, the same Mayor Bowser halted service on the Streetcar. With an annual operating budget of almost $12 million, the service became too costly to operate. Ridership declined from 1.2 million in 2019 to 853,445 in 2025. 
ABOVE: DC Streetcar 101 is captured descending the Hopscotch Bridge at H Street NE & 3rd Street NE, Tuesday, March 31, 2026. Framed with the Landmark Lofts at Senate Square Condo apartments, the streetcar featured many urban scenes for photography. The track that abruptly ends in the foreground was for a future extension west of Union Station to Georgetown. — Raymond Mercado
DC politicians had a grand vision of a large streetcar network connecting underserved neighborhoods while revitalizing H Street and Benning Road, but after initial logistical issues and funding disputes, this 2.2 mile stretch was the only part built for passenger service. The streetcar did have a positive effect on the neighborhood, with many new businesses and restaurants opening. But a dedicated transit lane was never built along the line, causing parking issues and operational delays. The Streetcar closed a year earlier than originally planned. It was scheduled to close in March 2027, but the DC City Council cut funding in the fiscal year 2026 budget.
ABOVE: Westbound DC Streetcar 201 pauses at the H Street NE and 5th Street NE stop on the final day of service, Tuesday, March 31, 2026. Stations along the H Street NE corridor, except for Union Station, were all curbside stops. — Andrew Grahl
Mayor Bowser stated in May 2025 the line could be converted to what was called a “next generation electric bus” using the Streetcar’s overhead wires, as a possible option in 2028 or 2029. However nothing has been planned or purchased towards the trolleybus proposal, and former Streetcar riders are now traveling by WMATA’s D20 bus. From the beginning, the line was to be extended east two miles to WMATA Benning Road Metro station. The extension would have added additional passengers feeding the Metro. With a new RFK Stadium under construction not far from the former eastern end of the Streetcar, the political decision to abandon and not extend the streetcar is one reason the end of Streetcar service is not sitting well with residents.
ABOVE: RED EVERYWHERE! On the final morning of service for the DC Streetcar, inbound Inekon-built car 101 (right) passes outbound United Streetcar-built 201 (left) at the Benning Road NE and Oklahoma Avenue NE terminal, Tuesday, March 31, 2026. The scene is framed with a red Freightliner truck, and a WMATA D20 bus which would replace the streetcar in a few hours. — Raymond Mercado
Other options were to move the Streetcar inside the Union Station terminal complex, closer and more convenient to station users. Another option would extend the eastern end to the Minnesota Avenue Metro station, which is closer than the stillborn $100 million extension to Benning Road station…
