Then Again Podcast
The Three Sisters Bridge / ep. 3
In the third episode of Then Again, we take a ride on D.C.’s highways and examine the story of the cursed Three Sisters Bridge project.
Washington Post coverage of the bridge protest. (Courtesy of Matt Andrea.)
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Evening Star coverage of the bridge protest. (Courtesy of Matt Andrea.)
Production Details
Then Again takes a deeper look at urban histories. This season, we’ll be unpacking the coming and going of Washington residents by exploring the history of the city’s many forms of transportation. Join us as we uncover the stories and dramas of D.C.’s rivers, streetcars, highways, and airports.
Then Again is produced by Allison Arlotta, Melissa Wadley, Erika Rydberg, Victoria Riechers, David Ramos, and Elena Goukassian, in association with Knowledge Commons DC. Recorded at the DC Public Library’s Studio Lab.
Music: “Rain Stops Play” and “Thought Projection” by Ketsa.
Washington Post coverage of the bridge protest. (Courtesy of Matt Andrea.)
Further Research
- “The Insane Highway Plan That Would Have Bulldozed DC’s Most Charming Neighborhoods”, Washingtonian Magazine, Oct. 2015.
- End of the Roads (PDF) – Nov. 2000 Washington Post profile of Reginald Booker
- It Happened in Washington, D.C. by Gina De Angelis
Extra Random Facts
- The Emergency Committee on the Transportation Crisis was led by Sammie Abbott and Reginald Booker. Sammie Abbott went on to become mayor of Takoma Park, Md. (the home town of Then Again host Allison Arlotta) and never stopped being the loudest voice in the room. Reginald Booker led a much quieter life after the ECTC. He said he was once told “Reginald, you will never win the Man of the Year Award for what you’re doing” and it’s true. He remained in Washington all his life, working for a law firm and as a foster care administrator, quietly chipping away at what he described as his “social responsibility.”
- All of the ECTC’s documents are on file at the MLK Library’s Washingtoniana Collection.
More from Then Again
Steamboats (Episode 1)
Streetcars (Episode 2)
Allison Arlotta grew up in Takoma Park, and no matter how many times she tries to leave the D.C. area, it keeps sucking her back in. It looks like she’ll finally break free this fall when she joins the Historic Preservation program at Columbia University. Besides shedding a tear when old buildings are demolished, her hobbies include flying trapeze, yelling at the TV, and celebrity gossip.