Has Graham read this?

Why now is the question we’d like to ask DC Councilman Jim Graham, who is stalling construction of the Anacostia streetcar because he wants to know “where it’s located and what it’s going to achieve”, “how much it’s going to cost”, “what other routes were considered” and “why were they rejected.” To answer those questions Graham has scheduled a public hearing for July 14.

What’s got us confused is that that information has all been available for years. Why is Graham asking those questions now, two-and-a-half months after DDOT solicited construction bids for the project, rather than say in 2005 when DDOT was going through its corridor selection process?

It’s hard to tell whether Graham is stalling because he doesn’t understand the benefits of streetcars in general or only has questions about the Anacostia line specifically. It’s possible he has no objections and just wants to look democratic by holding a public meeting. We don’t know, but in any event, getting streetcars up and running is the single most important issue in District transportation planning, so we’re taking Ryan Avent’s suggestion and writing to the Councilman for answers.

Update: (July 8) Mr. Graham’s response to our email: I may have been misconstrued. I am not against the project. I wanted an oversight hearing on this, some $60 million expense…something that has not occurred.