1. Problem: System-wide delays due to track maintenance.
How avoidable was it? Very. A third track would enable trains to keep running while the normal track is being repaired. But when Metro was first built, planners deemed it too expensive.
2. Problem: No stations in Georgetown.
How avoidable was it?Mostly avoidable. The story of prissy blue-bloods keeping Metro out of Georgetown is something of an urban myth. The fault also lies with Metro’s architects, who couldn’t imagine a future in which people would use Metro for anything other than commuting to and from downtown.
3. Problem: Hard to get from one hot DC neighborhood to another without transferring.
How avoidable was it?Probably unavoidable. Given the state of the city when the system opened, it would have been very hard to envision people traveling from Eastern Market to Shaw in the name of nightlife. This frustration, paradoxically, is a function of Metro’s success.
How avoidable was it?Not very. A thicket of sewers, power lines, and other infrastructure meant stations needed to be far underground, requiring escalators. (Whether Metro could have maintained them better is another issue.)
5. Problem: Convoluted finances.
How avoidable was it?Unavoidable. Stable transit systems have a dedicated source of revenue, but Metro’s governance structure involves three jurisdictions and Uncle Sam—a setup that makes it harder to avoid annual haggling over subsidies.
This article appears in our December 2015 issue of Washingtonian.
Luke Mullins is a senior writer at Washingtonian magazine focusing on the people and institutions that control the city’s levers of power. He has written about the Koch Brothers’ attempt to take over The Cato Institute, David Gregory’s ouster as moderator of NBC’s Meet the Press, the collapse of Washington’s Metro system, and the conflict that split apart the founders of Politico.
Michael J. Gaynor has written about fake Navy SEALs, a town without cell phones, his Russian spy landlord, and many more weird and fascinating stories for the Washingtonian. He lives in DC, where his landlord is no longer a Russian spy.
Up to 83% off!
5 Metro Sins, Ranked by Avoidability
1. Problem: System-wide delays due to track maintenance.
How avoidable was it? Very. A third track would enable trains to keep running while the normal track is being repaired. But when Metro was first built, planners deemed it too expensive.
2. Problem: No stations in Georgetown.
How avoidable was it? Mostly avoidable. The story of prissy blue-bloods keeping Metro out of Georgetown is something of an urban myth. The fault also lies with Metro’s architects, who couldn’t imagine a future in which people would use Metro for anything other than commuting to and from downtown.
3. Problem: Hard to get from one hot DC neighborhood to another without transferring.
How avoidable was it? Probably unavoidable. Given the state of the city when the system opened, it would have been very hard to envision people traveling from Eastern Market to Shaw in the name of nightlife. This frustration, paradoxically, is a function of Metro’s success.
Related: The Infuriating History of How Metro Got So Bad
4. Problem: Reliance on escalators.
How avoidable was it? Not very. A thicket of sewers, power lines, and other infrastructure meant stations needed to be far underground, requiring escalators. (Whether Metro could have maintained them better is another issue.)
5. Problem: Convoluted finances.
How avoidable was it? Unavoidable. Stable transit systems have a dedicated source of revenue, but Metro’s governance structure involves three jurisdictions and Uncle Sam—a setup that makes it harder to avoid annual haggling over subsidies.
This article appears in our December 2015 issue of Washingtonian.
Luke Mullins is a senior writer at Washingtonian magazine focusing on the people and institutions that control the city’s levers of power. He has written about the Koch Brothers’ attempt to take over The Cato Institute, David Gregory’s ouster as moderator of NBC’s Meet the Press, the collapse of Washington’s Metro system, and the conflict that split apart the founders of Politico.
Michael J. Gaynor has written about fake Navy SEALs, a town without cell phones, his Russian spy landlord, and many more weird and fascinating stories for the Washingtonian. He lives in DC, where his landlord is no longer a Russian spy.
Editors' Picks
Best of Washington 2018
The Runner’s Guide to Washington
Where to Watch Your Team in the 2018 World Cup
The Terrifying Story of the Congressional Baseball Shooting
Most Popular
Look at the Empty Bottled-Water Shelves at DC Grocery Stores
Rockville’s Asian-Fusion Food Hall Is Open With Taiwanese Fried Chicken, Hong Kong Bubble Waffles
DC Restaurants and Bars Close, Take Precautionary Measures During Water Emergency
Where to Celebrate Bastille Day 2018 Around DC
The 100 Very Best Restaurants in Washington
July 2018: Our Great Big Beach Guide
Subscribe
Related Posts
There Was a Deer on Metro This Morning
Four Stations That Offer a Better Premium-Rider Experience Than DC
Is the Acela Really a High-Speed Train?
Are Those Electric Scooters Actually Allowed on the Sidewalk? Here Are the Rules
More from News
The Splendid Misadventure of a 92-Year-Old, Salty-Mouthed, Tough-as-Tacks Hunter Who Got Lost in the Woods and Was Found by a Drone
A DC Film Professional Explains Why She Quit the “Roe v. Wade” Movie
Look at the Empty Bottled-Water Shelves at DC Grocery Stores
The Animals at the National Zoo Will Be Fine During the DC Water Emergency