This morning’s Washington Post reports on street closures on H Street NE.*

Why? The corridor is getting a streetcar, and tracks are being installed as we speak  (or more precisely “write,” or, likely in your case, procrastinate at work.) 

The online comments on this story are priceless:

“Another avenue for crooks, murders, rapists to get around town.”

“…Who gives a flying f—- about street car tracks? Feed the needy.”

“…H street needs a LOT of things, but a streetcar is the last of it. the traffic on the street is bad enough and more like an obstacle course with double parked cars, kids and drug addicts randomly wandering into the street and trucks delivering goods to merchants – without running a trolley down the middle. this is by far the stupidest plan i’ve ever seen.”

Deep in the bowels of the District Department of Transportation website, there is more information about this project. But man, do you have to know where to look.  (So thank you Post, for the instructions.)

Streetcar tracks will be installed from the intersection of Oklahoma Avenue and Benning Road to 3rd Street along H Street NE. They will be on the eastbound and westbound lanes adjacent to the curb, according to a recent DDOT report. 

View Benning Road/H Street Trolley in a larger map

As for the launch date of this glorious trolley or train or streetcar or whatever it’s going to be called…that I have not been able to track down. But the entire H Street reconstruction project is supposed to last “1,020 consecutive calendar days with [a] scheduled completion date of July 10, 2011,” according to DDOT’s website.

*From the press release: “Today, the intersection of 4th and H Streets, NE will be closed from 9 am to 5 pm. In addition, the eastbound curb lane on H Street, NE between 3rd and 5th Streets will be closed to traffic. Traffic on 4th Street will be redirected to 5th Street, NE. Flaggers and variable messages signs will help guide motorists and pedestrians around the work zone.” On Friday, the 7th and H Streets NE intersection will be closed during the day, as well.

Image by NCinDC, Flickr Creative Commons