Posts tagged Trains
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This 1944 proposal for a DC streetcar subway would have been the largest in the US
A swelling population in the District between the late 1930s and the early 1940s resulted in a lot of traffic congestion—as welll as calls to fix it. Many officials and companies were excited in particular about the prospect of building a subway system. Keep reading…
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Metro Reasons: The Yellow and Blue Line shutdown dry-run wasn’t perfect, but offers chances to learn
The six Yellow and Blue Line stations south of National Airport were closed last weekend from May 4 to 5, as Metro, Alexandria’s DASH, and Metro’s contractors geared up for the 107-day-long shutdown set to begin May 25. Bus operations ran fairly smoothly, but the dry-run may allow Metro to fine-tune tools to help riders through the ordeal. Keep reading…
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Watch the evolution of Amtrak from 1971 to 2011
Today, Amtrak turns 48. This slideshow shows how passenger rail service has evolved over the decades, using maps from Malcolm Kenton and the National Association of Railroad Passengers. Keep reading…
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Events: Join your GGWash Neighbors at a regional rail talk or a trolley play date
Join fellow GGWash Neighbors at a regional rail talk or a trolley turnaround play date, walk in the spirit of Jane Jacobs in Arlington, learn about fair housing in DC, and more in urbanist events this week. Keep reading…
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National links: Empty trains and the new Eye of Sauron
This small town in Denmark is getting a skyscraper, and it’s not the only rural town with a tower. Maybe it’s not such a good idea to get rid of transit drivers after all. Street grids are great, but sometimes you need an architechtural escape. Keep reading…
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Light rail? Heavy rail? Subway? Rail transit modes fall on a continuum
Despite wide variety in transit systems around the world, here in the United States we only have a few words to describe transit modes, such as commuter rail, heavy rail, and light rail. Keep reading…
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In honor of Metro’s birthday, watch the system’s evolution since 1976
The Metro system opened on March 27,1976 with five stations on the Red Line. It now has 91 stations on six lines. In (slightly belated) honor of this birthday, we're reposting and updating our animated slideshow of Metro’s evolution over 42 years. Keep reading…
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Check out these historic train stations in the Washington region
Train stations are the perfect nexus of transit and architecture geekdom. They’re monuments to all the things that urbanists hold dear. Luckily, the Washington area is full of wonderful examples of historic depots, big and small. Keep reading…
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Events: “Generation Priced Out” book talk, rail happy hour, and more
Concerned about the future of urban America? Randy Shaw’s Generation Priced Out is a call to action on one of the most talked-about issues of our time: how skyrocketing rents and home values are pricing low- and middle-income people out of urban America. Keep reading…
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Why it makes sense to extend the Purple Line to Largo, but not to National Harbor
While the idea of a Purple Line extension to Tysons Corner garners a lot of excitement among transit advocates and political leaders in the region, those in Prince George's County tend to favor an extension south from New Carrollton to serve Largo and National Harbor. This would better connect the densest parts of the county to the new “downtown” in Largo. Keep reading…