Community Corner
Metrorail Ridership Lowest In 2 Decades: Report
Metrorail ridership reportedly has plunged to its lowest level since 2000.
Metrorail weekday average ridership from July to December 2018 was 595,000, the lowest in two decades, according to a report.
Washington Post transportation reporter Faiz Siddiqui pointed out this fact on Twitter Monday afternoon.
"You have to go back to *2000* to find the last time Metrorail ridership this low," he wrote. "The original system wasn't even complete by then."
Find out what's happening in Washington DCfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
You have to go back to *2000* to find the last time Metrorail ridership this low. The original system wasn't even complete by then.https://t.co/vaXe8krtvt #wmata https://t.co/8jZbHgVHzF
— Faiz Siddiqui (@faizsays) March 4, 2019
Metro continues to be burdened with woes ranging from budget problems to unhappy labor to shortened hours to constant delays to extended station shutdowns to safety hazards. Ridership has consistently fallen in recent years as frustration with the system among riders has grown.
WMATA pledged to "return Metro to the world-class transit system it once was" in late 2016 with its "Back2Good" campaign. However, the effort has so far failed to convince riders to come back to the system.
Find out what's happening in Washington DCfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Metro itself has discouraged riders from using its service at times, such as when local sports events go late or if significant maintenance shuts down Metro stations and portions of track.
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