CommodoreBeta t1_jdyqw8w wrote on March 28, 2023 at 4:06 AM

It wouldn’t have made it past those five stations if it had been first built today.

Yellowdog727 t1_jdyvt2o wrote on March 28, 2023 at 4:56 AM

It would take them 12 years and billions of dollars over budget and they would only build a light rail system and brt

SandBoxJohn t1_je02nk6 wrote on March 28, 2023 at 1:27 PM

The original date for the ground braking of the first segment of the system was to originally be on 10 01 1968. However the chairman (William Natcher (D 2D KY) of the DC Subcommittee of the House Appropriation Committee blocked funding in exchange for building the never built systems of freeway in DC. The impasse ended on 11 25 1969 when President Richard Nixon (R) told him to back down. Ground was broken on 12 09 1969 a week after the first construction contract was awarded.

Yellowdog727 t1_je03zcw wrote on March 28, 2023 at 1:37 PM

Thank God we went with metro instead of a freeway

damnatio_memoriae t1_je5g2qq wrote on March 29, 2023 at 3:29 PM

it wouldn't even be light rail. it would be the stupid H St street car.

madmoneymcgee t1_je1wias wrote on March 28, 2023 at 8:29 PM

I read The Great Society Subway last year and a few things stood out:

The relative lack of control the local governments had did help. It really was a federal project and local places either got in line or they got nothing. And no one really wanted to be left out so that's how we got all 5 (now 6) lines. You notice when the Feds had political leaders who liked metro things went better and when you had leaders who didn't then things slowed down a lot.
Every time they tried to cut costs by rerouting or abandoning a line they ended up either not saving any money or finding out the original plan was probably the best all along.
Bus service today suffers because it was forced to be part of metro after the fact and was never really integrated that well in terms of an overall service philosophy. They were promised as a better replacement for the city's streetcar system but never actually given a chance to do so.
NPS has always been a villain when it comes to Metro. They fought hard against a "Smithsonian" station at all much less an entrance actually on the mall. Can you imagine?

keithsy t1_je11td4 wrote on March 28, 2023 at 5:19 PM

That is your govt. that many people love.