Jim Graham’s hearing on the Anacostia streetcar project has come and gone – the results? Everything’s pretty much the way it was before. Barring any last minute legislative derailments, the Anacostia line should go on as planned. There is, however, a small new can of worms opening. The debate centers around whether or not the line will actually achieve anything other than pushing forward streetcar development to other parts of the city. Some transit types claim that without the Anacostia line, you’ll never see a streetcar on H Street NE – without a doubt the place to put a line in the city – and that if this is the cost to get a line there, then so be it. Others say that it’s foolish to force a line in Anacostia, when Columbia Pike’s streetcar could be just as, if not more successful. Others are simply stuck in between, keeping the faith that either way will lead to more options.
We suppose we’ll have to wait and see. Groundbreaking is scheduled for the fall – feel free to let us know what you think about the Anacostia line’s merits in the comments.
Whaddya Have To Do To Get A Decent Pass Around Here?: We were intrigued by this New York Times article about the tenth anniversary of the unlimited-ride MetroCard for New York’s subway. Not to get in to the whole MTA vs. Metro brouhaha again, but this is one program that Metro could probably emulate to positive results. To wit: in New York, you can buy a seven-day, unlimited-ride, any mode of transit MetroCard for $25. Here, you can buy a 7-day Metro pass – but, a) it’s only good for rail trips, b) it’s not compatible with SmartTrip (so, good luck if you need to park and keep track of both your pass and your SmartTrip card), and c) it costs $39. If you want to be able to transfer to a bus, a weekly bus pass will run you another $11. Finally, (as if this could be any more complicated), you can purchase a “short trip” pass, which is only valid during rush hours and trips of up to $2.65 – for $26.40. Did we mention that none of this is SmartTrip compatible?
Photo by pictureprefect
