From the Archives: The Met Branch Trail is a Millennium Legacy Trail

Back in 2000, the White House Millennium Council - which was an actual thing - tried to mark the historic passage of time by designating things as Millennium Projects or Communities or in the case of the Metropolitan Branch Trail, as Millennium Legacy Trails. Hillary Clinton played a large role in the council, which would explain why she attended the trail's groundbreaking. I had completely forgotten about this program, which some people would see as a tragedy.

"The wealthiest, most powerful nation on Earth will leave little permanent behind to mark the moment," author James Reston Jr. fumed in an Outlook article in The Washington Post in October.

To some critics, the country's investment has bought nothing truly significant, nothing to match a project like England's Millennium Dome, for example. That immense structure, built for $1.2 billion on the banks of the Thames River in Greenwich, will showcase educational exhibits.

Yeah. That's OK with me. Especially when considering what a flop the UK's Millennium Dome was. As for the MBT

"It's speeding up the process," D.C. Parks and Recreation planning officer Ted Pochter said of the Millennium Legacy honorific bestowed on the seven-mile Metropolitan Branch Trail, which ultimately will connect Union Station with Silver Spring. The White House recognition included no direct funds but has helped prod negotiations on trail sections. There is no target date for completion, but "the expectations are high to build this," Pochter said.

Yes. It really sped up the process. Supposedly the MBT got a "special Millennium Trails marker with the national logo" on it, but I have never seen this. 

There's more here. 

Comments

[Jim Werner]

THANKS for posting this blast from the past. Interesting but frustrating. Some of us who were around for these various "ground breaking" and "ribbon cutting" events are still waiting for the MBT to be completed beyond the 1.5 miles from NOMA to Brookland, so the promised path from Silver Spring to union Station can be ridden safely.