Photo by washingtonydc
As passengers make the most of the D.C. Streetcar’s newly operating route down the H. Street Corridor, Senator Rand Paul insists that the transit project is a waste.
The Kentucky Republican, who is chair of a Senate subcommittee of federal spending oversight, released a report stating that, while DDOT was unsuccessful in getting federal dollars to build the “calamitous streetcar,” the department did walk away with $1.6 million to study line’s expansion. “What makes this even more mind-boggling is that the federal government awarded these grants in 2010 and 2012, when just the initial leg of the system had glaring signs of trouble,” the report says.
As the streetcar’s route coincides with an existing transit route, it’s basically unneeded, the report says. So instead of putting $1.6 million into the project, the report suggests that the money could have been better suited for D.C.’s troubled Metro system, citing a fatal incident in 2009 when two Red Line trains collided.
“And, while it is not the federal taxpayer’s responsibility to fix Metro, Uncle Sam ponied up $150 million to the troubled system in last year’s omnibus appropriations,” the report reads.
About 35 percent of Metro riders are federal government employees, according to a Metro ridership report. Even Sen. Paul has been spotted using the rail system for commuting. He has not yet been spotted on the streetcar.
