An Urban Escape - Washington, DC area...

Slithering through state and city lines of Virginia, Maryland and Washington DC... mere minutes away, the Potomac River and its banks offer miles of nature trails, from leisurely paths to trails varying in degrees of difficulty along its sections of rocky terrain and steep cliffs. Indeed, the sights and sounds of rushing water and teeming life from its surrounding habitat, become just the quick antidote city denizens seek to prepare for yet another week of running in circles... urban life can, at times, easily build up to seem.

Gallery: http://www.pbase.com/lenhardt/potomac_falls

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