The pros of rapid transit still outweigh the cons, which may definitely include an increase in crime. Imagine if the DC region built all the freeways planned in the 50s instead of the Metro subway. DC would be a much less attractive city, and it’s hard to say if crime levels would’ve been lower w/o Metro and with all the freeways. Look at Detroit with its spaghetti system of freeways and no mass rapid transit. |
I’m pretty sure that there are many more important factors that brought Detroit to its current state. |
I’d rather have a world class city with a Metro that yes, criminals may use to facilitate criminal activity with sometimes tragic consequences, but that also spared the destruction and demolition of neighborhoods for freeways. There would be no Bloomingdale with the iconic turreted rowhouses. Takoma DC (and Takoma Park) would be a big tangle of freeways and no quaint victorian homes; K Street would be a huge freeway and not the boulevard it is today; the Palisades would have a freeway separating it from the river below belching toxic fumes. Etc. The investment following Metro also helped revitalize neighborhoods like 14th Street that looked like a war zone with burned out building facades as recently as the 90s. And there’s no way to calculate whether or not crime would be lower in DC with freeways all over the city and the suburbs vs the Metro subway system. But my hunch is DC wouldn’t have been be any safer as a freeway city. |
+1 Also leave near Tysons. Crime has greatly increased and the timing is in direct line to the metro opening there. |
The metro opened in Bethesda in 1984. |
You aren't used to seeing non-white people in McLean, are you? |
There it is, the dumbest thing you’ll read all day. |
+1. The parking lot reeks of pot and you see some of the most low class human beings in the DMV. Avoid it like the plague. |
Dying for? Really? |
You can run and you can’t hide. |
I live near College Park and was hoping we could keep the Bethesda, "Bethesda North," and "Bethesda WAY North" folks out. I worry about our shops being packed with those types. I guess we can all hope the Purple Line continues to get delayed and cost the MoCo crowd and state more $$ ![]() |
I’m guessing you have purple hair. |
I used to love shopping there because it was a really nice size, but surprised by its state the last few times I've been back. They should push in a strong police presence, not cede the real estate. |
If the problem is the parking lot, then the Metro probably isn't to blame. |
Obviously PP thinks people live in the city because they want bad schools and crime. It's like the idiots who keep saying "you voted for this!" whenever people complain about DC. |