The other night, I was heading back from a Capitals game among the crowd of red-clad friends when I wondered about something on the transit end of the region's past.
In the days of the Capital Centre, how was any sort of transit access coordinated? No Metro ran out there at the time and seeing that it was in PG any sort of bus service would have been underwhelming unless WMATA ran shuttles from Landover (since, of course, the UMTA/FTA did not care about that until 2008 ::) ) Or did each and every person there for a Capitals/Bullets/Hoyas game or any other event drive? If it was the latter, it just goes to show how the move to the phone booth was a boon for every involved.
If there was I didn't know about it. Since it was out in an area where ample parking was available driving was king. I lived right down the street from the Capital Centre and didn't see any or heard of any shuttles.
Many years ago, I think in the mid 80's, I remember a bus that was run probably only for a year or two that was an MCI coach that said "Bullets" on it. My dad and I had to go into DC to take it and we were the only ones on it. I don't think it lasted too long after that!!
There was never any transit service out there that I can remember. It was one of those typical stupid suburban arenas that only allowed those who had a car, or take the metro to a nearby station and long cab ride to get to it, to attend. Land was cheap, so you put two and two together....It may have been a way to keep it somewhat close to Baltimore too, to preserve ties to the Baltimore Bullets. The Caps just became secondary residents of the place.
Nothing that I know of during that arena's existence. Of course, Largo Town Center station is now the "closest" station to the site.
I know, for me, growing up in Howard County -- we always drove
Quote from: coneyraven on January 09, 2009, 05:06:24 PM
I know, for me, growing up in Howard County -- we always drove
Of course you did. Howard County barely has transit as it is ;) .
Between this boards and assorted message boards on the Capitals, I've realized two other things regarding the Capital Centre that fall into the "What Might Have Been?" bin.
1: Wasn't there a proposal to have expanded the Blue Line to the Capital Centre at some point, before the modern Largo Town Center? I know the Adopted Regional System missed the boat because the arena came after its adoption, but it at least would have been considered, yes?
2: Reading the Text of the Post article on Washington winning an NHL franchise (http://boards.washingtoncaps.com/index.php?showtopic=78085&hl=1974), the original plan for an arena in Washington was the "Eisenhower Center Arena" that was to have been built "downtown"; one person says that it would have been on or near the site of the current Verizon Center. Had this been built and it already been there when Metro began, would Washington have had a quicker recovery in the wake of the 1968 riots? Or would people have stayed away given those memories were still fresh?
Quote from: Scrabbleship on January 10, 2009, 10:56:47 AM
Quote from: coneyraven on January 09, 2009, 05:06:24 PM
I know, for me, growing up in Howard County -- we always drove
Of course you did. Howard County barely has transit as it is ;) .
Between this boards and assorted message boards on the Capitals, I've realized two other things regarding the Capital Centre that fall into the "What Might Have Been?" bin.
1: Wasn't there a proposal to have expanded the Blue Line to the Capital Centre at some point, before the modern Largo Town Center? I know the Adopted Regional System missed the boat because the arena came after its adoption, but it at least would have been considered, yes?
2: Reading the Text of the Post article on Washington winning an NHL franchise (http://boards.washingtoncaps.com/index.php?showtopic=78085&hl=1974), the original plan for an arena in Washington was the "Eisenhower Center Arena" that was to have been built "downtown"; one person says that it would have been on or near the site of the current Verizon Center. Had this been built and it already been there when Metro began, would Washington have had a quicker recovery in the wake of the 1968 riots? Or would people have stayed away given those memories were still fresh?
The current Largo station was not part of ARS until 1998. According to
The Story of Metro, the 1967 ARS proposal by WMATA included a station at Largo. The D Route to New Carrollton did not exist, and a dashed line to indicate a future extension of the ARS went north from Largo to a stop at John Hanson Highway (Route 50) just outside the beltway and then on to Bowie. The 1968 ARS adopted by Congress included the D Route (obviously). The G Route ended at Addison Road, but continued to Largo as a potential future extension following the completion of the ARS.
Other potential extensions on the 1968 ARS map include:
Germantown (with a stop in Gaithersburg)
Laurel
Bowie (now as an extension from New Carrollton)
Brandywine
Fairfield
Burke
Fairfax City
Dulles Airport
Wasn't there also an extension south of Huntington down to Hybla Valley -- I don't have it in front of me so -- not sure
I had it in front of me as I wrote that post and I don't think I missed it. Perhaps that was on a different map.
I have a copy of the revised ARS map published in 1972.
The future extensions were:
- A Route: Shady to Grove Germantown, parallel to the CSX railroad right of way.
- C Route: Huntington to Fairfield, along Richmond Highway.
- D Route: New Carrollton to Bowie, parallel to the Amtrak railroad right of way.
- E Route: Greenbelt to Laural, parallel to the CSX railroad right of way.
- F Route: Branch Avenue to Brandywine, Capitol Beltway, to just east of Saint Barnabas Road, south on the east side of Rosecroft Raceway, Pepco right of way. (On that map the Branch Avenue station was located east of Branch Avenue between Beach Road and Auth Way.)
- G Route: Addison Road to Largo
- J Route: Springfield to Burke (The Springfield station on that map was to be located where the VRE Backlick Road station is today. The Springfield station was deleted from the ARS and was replaced by the Springfield-Franconia station. Today's J Route west of Van Dorn Street was previously known as the H Route and was to have it's terminal station at Franconia Road and the the CSX railroad right of way.)
- K Route: Vienna to Centerville in median of VA I-66
Future Branches
- L Route: Pentagon to Lincolnia, Columbia Pike, Seminary Road, VA I-395, Little River Turnpike.
- N Route: East of West Falls Church to Dulles Airport
I remember, after my service in the US NAVY, I operated a TAXICAB for a couple of years in PG County. (1982 - 1988)
I LOVED working the CAP CENTER, flat rating all passengers to Addison Rd METRO. $6.00 from Cap Center to Addison RD. . 2-3 sets of people, thats $18. a trip (Not counting tips). 15 Min later, I was back in Cap Center parking lot, to make another trip.
BEST part, were events that ended about 11pm. Most of us cabbies that worked the Cap center would disappear from 11pm, til 11:30pm (last train left Addison Rd at 11:30pm), so we would stuff ppl into our taxis & flat rate them all thru the DC Metro area.
Best 2 trips I made from there. . 2 guys going to NYC (YES NEW YORK CITY)
after The Caps lost in a game 7 . . and 2 girls going to Springfield va, after a Bon Jovi concert . . that was a GREAT trip & tip ;D