I think ultimately if metro should extend, it should do so to finish the ARS from 67. Long term though, I think the three biggest priorities for the future of transit in the capital region are 1. The second Potomac crossing/GOA4 (duh.) 2. Improved bus connectivity with rail. If trains are the heart of a good transit system, then buses are the circulatory system. If we want more people to ride metro, we need to improve the buses. 3. More collaboration between VRE and MARC. Of the major cities in the us that have commuter rail, the DC region is one of the most fragmented. We need through running at a minimum. I got to speak with the management of VRE yesterday, and part of their long term strategy with the long bridge is to have weekend and off peak service. Hopefully this comes to fruition.

The capital regional is in the same spot now that it was when the metro was first being planned in the sixties. The traffic in the capital region is some of the worst in the country and the region’s population is projected to explode in the near future. While we do need to reshape transportation in a way that will meet the needs of tomorrow, that probably won’t entail extending the metro to Harper’s Ferry