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Re: Pollution and Va. bashing. While it may be emotionally satisfying to reflexively bash NoVa and its suburban culture, and Virginia's larger red-state political atmosphere, in Virginia there are significant heavy-rail and light-rail projects either under construction, in the planning process, or both. And the funding mechanisms to pay for Metro Dulles are largely in place. In the MD suburbs and DC proper we have two light rail projects that seem to be moving at a snail's pace, facing numerous stumbling blocks and with uncertain futures. Metro expansion in MD or DC is simply not on the horizon. The purple line always seems on the verge of being derailed by well-heeled NIMBYs, or the changing political winds in Annapolis. DC Streetcar program appears to have entered zombieland, thanks to ham-fisted ready-fire-aim planning, procurement irregularities, and general ineptitude. (See story that Arlington actually wants to hire someone with an urban planning background, rather than a transit bureaucrat, to manage the Columbia Pike streetcar.)

Contrast the lassitude in DC and MD to an enormously successful light-rail start up in Hampton Roads, new Amtrak services, including a new route to Norfolk, Dulles Metro, new VRE equipment purchases and (probably) light rail in Arlington/Bailey's Crossroads. I wouldn't for a moment let McDonnell claim credit for any of this, but he did have the good sense to get out of the way.

by Phil on Feb 29, 2012 12:33 pm • link • report

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