Metro’s new board members take on a troubled, aging rail system – The Post
The second longest subway system in the United States turned 35 yesterday and it is safe to say that it is an old 35. The Washington Metropolitan Transit Authority has its work cut out for it to get the system into good repair. The midnight to 3 a.m. service is being targeted for cutback by some as a way to allow more maintenance hours and that has proved controversial. I’m curious if another 6 hours a week will make that big a difference, but given the situation with the system, I’m open to the idea.

Metro is the greatest success of the Washington D.C. region since World War II. I always thought it was impressive that it got built, but after reading Zachary Schrag’s The Great Society Subway, it is all the more amazing. It is still hard to believe that the governments and public of three distinctly different jurisdictions, D.C., Virginia and Maryland were actually able to get the system built, particularly in an era where almost all long-range planning in this country was automobile-centric. That gives me hope that somehow, the system can return to its previous levels of service.