(Washington, DC) The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) is exploring the potential of privatizing the District’s non-regional bus service and a 22-mile priority streetcar system as a means to accelerate delivery. As part of this process DDOT is asking for the private sector’s perspective and feedback in a Request for Information (RFI) ^[PDF] issued this week. The RFI is an inquiry only, not a procurement, but the responses will help the District advance planning and development efforts for the project, which may result in the launch of a formal procurement.

The scope of the proposed project includes a combination of the following activities to support transit service within the District:

• Design, construction, financing, and on‐going operations and maintenance of a 22‐mile minimum priority streetcar network;
• Operations and maintenance of the DC Circulator bus system;
• Operations and maintenance of “non‐regional” bus service within the District currently operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (“WMATA”) ; and
• Purchase of vehicles as necessary to operate the above services.

The District anticipates a public-private partnership (PPP) could accelerate the delivery of the DC Streetcar system. Other potential benefits include allowing appropriate risk sharing; maximizing competition and leveraging available public funds; providing greater cost and schedule certainty for the District over the long‐term; and allowing for a more favorable payment profile for the District.

More information about this solicitation is available online; refer to the related news link below. Responses are due by 2 pm on August 28, 2012.

To learn more about the DC Streetcar, please visit www.dcstreetcar.com .