Streetcar versus bus: Which mode is better?

Bus versus streetcar: It’s a dispute that stirs emotion in the hearts of transit wonks, who tend to have strong opinions about which mode is superior and thus better to invest in.

DC has a plethora of bus routes but only one streetcar line, a 2.4-mile run from Union Station down H Street, which it plans to extend to Benning Road. While the 2.2-mile extension would add a much-needed transit link between Ward 5 and Ward 7 — one that’s more permanent than a bus line — detractors say the streetcar is too slow. As of publication, DDOT has not responded to a query about the current status of the Benning Road extension.

To decide which mode is faster, or at least bring some more data to the debate, the Meetup group Transit Enthusiasts of DC embarked on an experiment. On March 2, we set out on the DC Streetcar down the length of the streetcar’s run, then back via the X2 bus.

The results were not surprising. The bus, as is well known, was speedier: it took 14 minutes by my accounting, versus 18 minutes for the streetcar. William Rice, the group’s organizer, clocked it at 14 minutes for the bus, 21 for the streetcar, but he counted time onboard the streetcar before we got moving. Once it left the station, the streetcar crept forward smoothly while the bus barreled down the street.

Both modes ran into issues that slowed them down. Frequent stops and numerous riders kept the bus from winning the “race” by a greater margin. The need to tap SmartTrip cards also slowed the bus; since the streetcar is free, people simply hop on and off. The streetcar, meanwhile, was slowed for a minute or so by a police car on the tracks — not an uncommon problem.

Our group agreed that the streetcar is more comfortable however, with wider seats and a smoother ride, and is overall a cooler experience. One woman announced that if she were homeless, she would definitely choose the streetcar, a strange criterion, but with some relevance.

“It’s hard to argue that buses are not a more flexible and efficient way of moving people around the city, especially if you can give them the dedicated lanes,” said Rice. Still, “I love streetcars, have always loved them,” he added. “There’s a magic and a majesty and a wonder about them.”

Pros and cons

Deciding whether a new project should be bus or streetcar (or light rail or metro) is much more complicated in real life. DC, like most U.S. cities, built a streetcar system that provided the arteries of suburban expansion in the late 19th Century, but abandoned it for a bus system and infrastructure for cars by the early 1960s.

Then a complete network of DC streetcars was briefly planned in 2009. The current line opened in February of 2016, after running into overruns and delays, due to “poor management, hasty designs, construction problems and political struggles,” according to the Washington Post. Problems included an overpriced “Car Barn” and a flash fire. In 2015, Mayor Muriel Bowser promised an extension to Benning Road, and eventually further, to Union Station and Georgetown, but put in limbo plans for a citywide network. Many residents of Ward 7 support the Benning Road project, although they ask for more input. One poll by a data scientist who lives in Ward 7 showed 61.9% support.

Streetcar advocates advance many arguments: The mode is more comfortable and environmentally friendly, rides lower to the ground making it easier to board, carries more people per vehicle, is better at drawing new passengers and spurring economic development.

The case for buses is different but also compelling. Initial capital cost is crucial — with no need to install rails and with less expensive vehicles, more buses can be serving more people in less time. Buses are speedier too. As transit guru Jarrett Walker puts it, “If you replace a bus with a streetcar on the same route, and make no other improvements, nobody will be able to get anywhere any faster than they could before.”

Operating costs may be cheaper for the streetcar, however, at least in one Portland, Oregon example. But the bus is more flexible — it can go around a stalled vehicle or emergency and overall routes can be easily changed if they’re not performing.

Walker also argues that “buses are changing fast,” primarily due to Bus Rapid Transit, which offers dedicated lanes, low floors, off-board fare collection, transit priority and other innovations that provide many of the advantages of rail systems.

In the negative column, streetcar tracks pose a hazard to bicycles, which can get caught in the tracks and crash. In a tragic 2018 DC incident, cyclist Malik Habib was killed by a bus after his bike got stuck in the streetcar tracks. To help address this risk, the Benning extension project would build separate bicycle paths nearby.

Buses too can create a danger to people biking when they move to the side unexpectedly. A report by Alta Planning + Design on bicycles and streetcars in Portland, Oregon, recommended separated bike lanes as the best solution regardless of whether bikes are alongside buses or streetcars.

Which is better? It depends.

So how to decide which type of transit to invest in? As urban planner Christoff Spieler said, don’t prejudge the mode — it’s important to choose based on individual project needs and conditions. Start any project by asking what is needed and what is affordable, Spieler advised.

To set up a new transit line for success, it’s crucial to talk to residents early, as GGWash has discussed before, and let them play a major role in decision making. Outreach shouldn’t be just a series of evening meetings likely attended by affluent partisans, but should also reach out at train and bus stops, churches and schools in order to hear from those most likely to depend on the transit on a daily basis.

Meanwhile, for those who love trains and buses, Transit Enthusiasts of DC offers fun and conversation. Rice started the group in January of this year “very spontaneously,” he said, and it took off. Right now, the group does a monthly presentation and field trip, and Rice said there’s a possibility of more formal organization, including testifying, in the future.

“I invite anyone who’s fascinated, delighted, enchanted by public transit, by this lifeblood of urban centers, who believe that they are good for the environment, good for the economy, they’re an egalitarian form of transportation, to check us out,” Rice said.