Were you there when the region was still building Metro?
My dad worked for the Urban Mass Transportation Authority, now the Federal Transit Administration, in the late 1970s. As a result, my family went on several tours of the new transit system. My mom recently brought me this promotional item from a tour in 1980 or 1981.
The text says,
I saw partially completed stations with:
- Free floating mezzanines standing clear of the walls
- Installations for edge-platform lights which will dim and brighten to signal the approach of quiet Metro trains
- Air conditioning ducts and public address speaker openings
- Train halls long enough to hold the Washington Monument on its side with 45 feet left over
- Direct sight lines and open visibility with no columns to block my view
- Huge coffered station arches to be painted with indirect light from below the platforms
- Acoustical panels being installed to quiet the stations
- Floating slabs resting on elastomer pads to quiet train noise and vibration from the surroundings
It took me ___ minutes to walk it. By train, the same trip will take ___ minutes.
Were you there? Any other readers have cool photos or souvenirs from this era? Send them to info@ggwash.org!