That’s pretty much the news out of Ward 3 Councilmember Mary Cheh‘s hearing this morning on the fate of the elusive D.C. streetcar. District Department of Transportation Director Terry Bellamy said that the controversy over the proposed car barn on the campus of Spingarn High School, and the related historic landmark nomination for the campus, could delay the streetcar’s arrival by 90 days. That’d likely push the first streetcar ride from late 2013 into the following year.

But let’s remember what we’re talking about. All we were expecting to get in late 2013 was a portion of the H Street/Benning Road line running eastward from Third Street NE. DDOT tells me that the western half of the line (extending to Georgetown) won’t open until three to four years from now.*

So any Northwest residents hoping to ride the rails to Granville Moore’s, or Hill denizens anticipating a streetcar trip downtown: Don’t get too excited yet.

* UPDATE, October 10: DDOT emails to clarify that the western portion of the H Street streetcar line will open three to four years from now, not three to four years after the opening of the eastern portion, as originally reported.