The H Street Shuttle called it quits Dec. 31, ending its service to passengers seeking a free ride to the Northeast corridor from Chinatown. 

The mini-bus — which debuted in August 2009 — aimed to draw people to the area while the District Department of Transportation installs a new streetcar system scheduled to open in 2012.

The H Street Shuttle had been set to run until the streetcar system was in place, but the shuttle faced funding issues even before DDOT officially shut it down.

Shuttle manager Ben Tesfaye of U Street Parking said the closure has hit the local community hard and left many scrambling to find a new way to the corridor on weekends.

“It was an extremely useful service, and you don’t know how many phone calls I’m getting from people wondering if it’s coming back,” Tesfaye said. “A lot of businesses were benefiting from it, and residents were too.”

Metro’s solution? The Express X9 bus, which launched Dec. 19, runs from the Capitol Heights Metro on the Blue Line to 13th and H streets Northwest.

But don’t expect a true replacement to the H Street Shuttle service — the Express X9 bus only runs weekdays from 6:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.