This week's top posts unpack things you may not have known about the region. From an elevated streetcar line in Baltimore, to the meaning of Metrobus numbers, to how old railroads shaped Maryland's suburbs. These articles are bound to take you on an adventure of discovery. Enjoy.
Milkhouse Ford Road in Northwest DC no longer exists as a major thoroughfare. But clues of its past life are still visible thanks to skewed property lines, an abandoned ford over Rock Creek, and seemingly misplaced street names around the city.
While Baltimore’s streetcar network never included tunnels, from 1893 to 1950 the city did have an eight-block elevated trestle for streetcars, including several stations along Guilford Avenue.
By DW Rowlands (Contributor), David Alpert (Executive Director) • April 10, 2020
Metrobus’s route numbers are unusually complicated compared to those of other major cities. Metrobus uses a mix of two-digit numbers, letters followed by one or two digits, and letters preceded by one or two digits. How did we end up with such a mess?
Much of DC beyond the original L’Enfant city and Georgetown consists of “streetcar suburbs,” namely late-19th and early-20th Century communities that grew up around streetcar lines. In this final installment, we’re looking at the Chesapeake Beach Railway and the Washington, Baltimore, & Annapolis Electric Railway (WB&A).
By Ron Thompson (Transportation Equity Organizer) • April 8, 2020
Against the backdrop of a pandemic, pictures and videos of crowds at DC’s Maine Avenue Fish Market, commonly known as the Wharf, circulated over the weekend. On the surface, it was painfully obvious social distancing guidelines were not met. However, it is important to understand that the complexities of life that existed before this pandemic for some of our neighbors have grown more complex in the midst of the novel coronavirus outbreak.
