Sammie Abbott is arrested for protesting at a condemned Brookland home, June 1969 (Photo credit: Brig Cabe. Reprinted with permission of the DC Public Library, Star Collection, © Washington Post)

Sammie Abbott is arrested for protesting at a Brookland home that had been condemned to make room for a proposed highway through the neighborhood. (Photo credit: Brig Cabe. Reprinted with permission of the DC Public Library, Star Collection, © Washington Post)

The Roads Not Traveled: D.C. Pushes Back Against Freeway Plans

During the morning commute on Metro, trains are packed. A lot of riders are commuters coming in from Maryland or Northern Virginia. The Metro wasn’t the initial plan; back in the 1950s, the plan was to set up a freeway system to make it easier for people in the suburbs to access D.C. But due to the persistence of citizen groups, this was not to be.

Last Updated: May 13, 2022