An old DC Transit trolley, photo courtesy DCtrolley.org.

In light of the latest attempt by Congress to pass a Metro funding bill, Richard Layman makes an interesting point:

“U.S. Congress ordered the dissolution of the DC streetcar system in the early 1950s, after choosing to not renew the franchise, ostensibly in response to a worker strike. (The system was replaced with buses completely in 1962.) This means to my way of thinking that the Federal Government has a special responsibility for rebuilding transit in the region, because the Federal Government has responsibility for the wrecking of fixed rail transit in the region.”