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What I really think is at play here is that opponents view the streetcar as representing more DC gentrification. And they fear that their neighborhoods will attract yuppies who will displace those who are already there. The problem is that they are 20 years too late and that a lot of these trends are inherently irreversible. At the very most what they'll do is slow it down, but that wave of gentrification is going to come.

I also agree with people who think that "neighborhood groups" getting too much deference. For example those same "neighborhood groups" were able to slow down the Cathedral Commons project on Wisconsin Avenue. I remember Giant first proposing renovating their store there in late 1999 and early 2000. By the time that I left that area of DC the project had not broken ground and that whole block from Cactus Cantina to the Giant had become blighted. Groups of neighbors had been fighting each other and abused litigation to prevent it from going forward. Only until a court ruled against the project opponents last year was the project finally able to move forward--more than 10 years after Giant first proposed it. I'm really surprised that Giant didn't just give up and abandon the project.

I could see that stopping the streetcar. But I would also the people living there. What do you expect DC to do? Rip up the tracks that have been laid?

by Rain17 on Jul 11, 2012 2:34 pm • link • report