Reading this story about the implementation of the street car network in Washington D.C. was not an encouraging start to my Sunday morning. Even in a system where the money was present; the politics, the logistics, and the number and power of external stakeholders create a planning scenario that is mind boggling. The fact that the project is even this far and there is still energy behind the effort seems a victory. Perhaps the the one perspective from the article is correct - to paraphrase, "perhaps in 10 years everyone will forget about the difficulties and inefficiencies and will wonder how they ever got along without a streetcar line."
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/trafficandcommuting/how-dc-spent-200-million-over-a-decade-on-a-streetcar-you-still-cant-ride/2015/12/05/3c8a51c6-8d48-11e5-acff-673ae92ddd2b_story.html?tid=sm_fb
Wow, either the planners behind this project are extremely stubborn or they truly believe in the vision and value of reviving the streetcar system in Washington, D.C. It makes a reader wonder whether it's truly worth going through so much trouble for another form of transit. It's clear that not everyone in the community is eager for the idea, especially the community that is fighting for historical preservation of their neighborhood. Although many people see streetcars bring positive developments to the economy, it does not always win out against other competing values in the community. Nonetheless the planners appear persistent and determined to fulfill the project even with the developments of expensive complications. But at a cost three times other streetcar projects, is it even worth it?
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