While there is plenty to discuss in the world of Metrorail and Metrobus, today’s installment of Transit on Thursday will focus on the always controversial Whitehurst Freeway. As you may recall, the Whitehurst — built in the 1940s and named after Herbert Whitehurst — has been on the chopping block for some time now, eyed by Council-member Jack Evans (D-Ward 2) for demolition. He and his Georgetown constituents have never much liked the elevated roadway, and if it weren’t for the democratic process, they may well have gone at it themselves years ago. City officials have claimed that the freeway could well be gone by 2007, but before they call in the wrecking balls, they actually need proposals on where to direct the 42,000 cars that daily use the roadway to bypass Georgetown.

And this is where we are now. Transportation officials spent the summer gathering public input and brainstorming alternatives to the freeway, and on Tuesday launched the first of three open houses where their proposals — which cost $550,000 to produce — were presented to the public. DCist attended Tuesday’s open house, curiously exploring what engineers and urban designers had decided could feasibly replace the Whitehurst.