CityBracket 2025, Round 2, Matchup 3: Lincoln vs Washington, DC

The first two matchups in round 2 have been real nailbiters, where as I was going through them I wasn't entirely sure where it would end up going.

I'm not sure that's going to be true today. With all due respect to Lincoln, Nebraska, a city I deeply enjoy visiting and, to quote Shakespeare, would willingly waste my time in, I think there's a clear favorite here. 

But maybe some would have said that about New York last time, so let's get to it! This is Lincoln vs Washington, DC.

Category 1: Visiting Without A Car

a) How can you get to the city? 

Lincoln has daily train service, a cute little airport with some bus service, intercity bus (coach) service, and even a shuttle to the Omaha airport as well.

DC has Acela, the highest capacity and highest speed rail line in the US, even more intercity bus service, a regional train to Baltimore, and three international airports all connected to it by rail, including two on the metro.

Or: I have visited Lincoln without a car once. I have driven into DC once.

The train drops you off right downtown, too.

VERDICT: Lincoln 0, DC 1

b) How do you get around?

Lincoln has a small but relatively robust bus network, a growing and frankly impressive for the Midwest bike network, and a very walkable downtown next to the university.

DC has one of the best subways in the USA, which visits pretty much all of the major sites in the city, the National Mall to walk along, and a more robust bus network than Lincoln.

VERDICT: Lincoln 0, DC 2

c) What are the limits on a visitor without a car?

Honestly, in Lincoln there's not a lot you can't get to without a car that's of visitor interest, although the UNL's Memorial Stadium is definitely set up for car parking first and foremost.

The best rail service in Lincoln: at the Zoo. I'm afraid it doesn't quite compare...

DC? There can be some long walks from place to place, but again, very little in terms of restrictions.

VEDICT: Lincoln 0, DC 3

Category 2: Living Without A Car

a) Can you expect to get to work?

In Lincoln this is primarily true if you live downtown. It's definitely dominated by single-car driving.

In DC, you should totally expect to be able to work without a car, unless you work at one of the federal offices out in suburban Virginia or Maryland -- though in that case you probably won't live in DC proper anyway. There are definitely large numbers of car commuters, but they aren't nearly as dominant, especially inside the city.

VERDICT: Lincoln 0, DC 4

b) Can you live the rest of your life?

Again, I respect the grind of those who live in Lincoln car-free. The bike network and walkable downtown really do make it possible.

You can bike to UNL!

That said, the sheer comparison of lived experience shows how many more people in DC make this work, and I cannot stress how much easier it is to do there.

VERDICT: Lincoln 0, DC 5 

c) How are the basic amenities?

I'm sorry for Lincoln here: I like its parks and museums, the sidewalks are empty (see below) but ample, and I think it has everything you need for a city.

Nice park. Too bad there was no one on this path...

Unfortunately, DC overflows. It hath abundance. It does and overdoes. The national investment in DC's amenities is impressive, and deserves recognition.

VERDICT: Lincoln 0, DC 6 

Category 3: Miscellaneous

a) Are there people on the street?

See above. I have seen more than one person on the streets in Lincoln, and the downtown Haymarket can get pretty packed.

And then there's the rest of the city, where I think my in-laws were about to commit me to a mental institution the first time I walked to the Runza (Nebraska fast food chain) from their house.

DC is a different city: it buzzes throughout, and the desire to walk to your junk food fix is hardly unusual.

VERDICT: Lincoln 0, DC 7

b) Where is the city's urbanism going?

Here, as with NYC, we have to consider the reality of what the US government is doing: whatever we think of DC, we have to admit that Donald Trump has explicitly declared a desire to micromanage the government of DC, which can derail any ongoing projects. 

Lincoln is building out bike lanes and densifying downtown. 

DC has just extended the Metro (into a new county in the outskirts of the metro area even) and has started discussing plans to continue to intensify the transit options in the city. 

Against another opponent the threat of US government intervention might tip things, but DC's developments are just too strong here.

VERDICT: Lincoln 0, DC 8

c) Is it functionally diverse?

For Nebraska, Lincoln is quite diverse. The options in terms of food and groceries, education and community, are diverse among African, Asian, and Hispanic cultures, to name just three broad groups.

DC is a majority-minority city embedded in a larger metro area that is also more diverse than Lincoln. The city has its troubles with historical segregation and discrimination, as all large US cities do, but it's still a more diverse city than Lincoln.

VERDICT: Lincoln 0, DC 9

d) How do people there react to knowing you're not using a car?

In Lincoln they'll probably assume you're a poor student.

In DC, 👍 is probably about the amount of reaction you'll get.

VERDICT: Lincoln 0, DC 10

e) How do people react to people living close together?

Again, DC is much more used to this; in Lincoln it's basically restricted to college kids, and that's not always viewed positively.

FINAL VERDICT: Lincoln 0, DC 11

Sorry Lincoln; I love visiting you and would gladly live there, but it's not DC. This is our first clean sweep (although there were some narrow "ties" in earlier rounds that here in round 2 would probably have fallen one way or the other and caused sweeps as well).