Glendening's message to the agency was that it will have to help itself. Today a trainload of dignitaries will take a commemorative ride to that station from Farragut North, the same 4.6 miles with which rail debuted in 1976. What they will see is an area that missed the urban renaissance that Metro originally promised, and a corner of Washington that Glendening would say is still rife with possibilities. The elevated Red Line station's exit opens onto an abandoned printing plant, now for sale. Farther along the busy avenue, past a car repair garage, are a liquor store, a bar advertising dancing girls and a used-furniture store, all with heavy grates at windows and doors.
Young men loiter on the corners.
Ben Fantroy, who for 23 years has owned Ben and Shirl's Mattress store in the 900 block of Rhode Island, was full of hope when the subway opened in 1976. Now there are drugs here and drugs there. With little to draw people into the neighborhood, ridership at the station has been declining. Last year, about 4,450 people boarded trains there daily, down from 5,700 in 1992. She would welcome more development.