How can we improve the results of major public transit investments?

Washington D.C.’s 2014 Metrorail expansion runs, on elevated track lines, through the sprawling and auto-oriented Tysons Corner. Originally conceived as a means of transforming Tysons Corner into a true urban downtown with high walk-ability, the Silver Line’s expansion became mired in a fight over whether to go underground or above ground. In her 2015 thesis, Katie Blizzard (MCP ’15) examines the history of this debate and how the public controversy led to a suboptimal. She presents strong evidence supporting a conclusion that flawed federal funding criteria, the costs associated with high-level political disagreements and the constraints imposed by uncompetitive contracting were all to blame. To read more of Katie’s analysis and conclusions, click here.