Good afternoon, Chairman Graham and Councilmembers. I'm Rich Bradley, president of DC Surface Transit, Inc. DC Surface Transit is a nonprofit organization created to help birth the Circulator and dedicated to promoting convenient and affordable surface transit in DC. 

I would like to make five brief points:

1. The proposed streetcar system, of which the starter line on H Street is the initial phase, has the potential to more positively and dramatically impact community and economic development in DC than Metro has.  Other cities are also realizing this potential, and we can’t afford (with our economic needs) to be left behind.
    
2. The only streetcar propulsion system which meets the test of affordability, reliability and serviceability now, and in the near future, will require overhead wires, for all or good portions of the trip.  Hybrid technologies are evolving the most quickly and promise to provide relative relief for short to medium distances.  DCST hosted a technology forum in May in conjunction with the American Public Transportation Association, which helped confirm this observation.
    
3. Overhead wires have been “the elephant in the room” where DC streetcars have been debated over the years. No one in the city wants wires. There is no advocacy for them. Given the special nature of our city, we would all like the benefits of streetcars without building a system with wires. 
    
4. While there are no “advocates” for overhead wires, they need not adversely impact the visual experience of place. Twenty-first century overhead wires for streetcars are a quarter inch in diameter and can be supported by poles that are less intrusive than most street lights. There are examples from around the country and the world which demonstrate that with attention to good urban design, especially to the “envelope” through which the streetcar moves, streetcar overhead wires can be seamlessly blended into the fabric of the public realm.
    
5. The government of the District of Columbia and its citizens have the competency and legal standing to make their own decisions about what is best for its future.
    
6. The federal laws that constrain us were enacted by Congress in the 19th century, and do not take into account modern streetcar design and technology, nor do they give any consideration to the city's need for a healthy environment, competitive economy or affordable transportation. These legal restrictions pre-date the L’Enfant and McMillan Plans, which are championed by the National Capital Planning Commission, for establishing a framework that protects federal interests. The restrictions also pre-date the passage of the District’s Home Rule Act in 1973..

It is our view that the city should make its own determinations about how it will grow and be sustained into the future. This legislation puts the responsibility for determining an acceptable balance between community development and historic preservation upon the city.  That responsibility would include the existing requirement to consider the Federal interests inherent in certain parts of the city.

Thank you for your attention and consideration of these remarks.