Cityscapes...

Utilitarian in concept, Washington DC's Metro subway system ridership still significantly pales in comparison to London's Underground. There remains a significant sense of novelty associated with the use of the system by area residents, while a number of visitors to the capital area still imagine use of the rapid transit system as a little too complicated.

Indeed, the continued rise of energy costs just might finally force the system's administrators to perhaps abandon its too bureaucratic ways and unimaginative "egg or hen first" marketing approach. Promotions need to be more aggressive and innovative. The potential of advertising revenue to finance improvements is barely being tapped. I can only suspect rampant complacency among far too many officials.

Meantime, there are no transparent initiatives being implemented toward program self-sufficiency. Instead, it continues to be hostage to politically mired government subsidies and special interest groups. Already, a few years and over $140 million have been spent on the feasibility study of the rail service extension to Dulles Airport. Still, the project pretty much remains in limbo. The haggling is just too mind boggling...

Websites:
www.wmata.com/
www.tfl.gov.uk/modalpages/2625.aspx
www.pbase.com/lenhardt/washington_dc