D.C.'s Metro Reaches Out to Riders to Help Plan Its Future

With a 30% increase in population, and 40% increase in jobs, projected for the Washington D.C. area over the next three decades, and new heads of Planning and Real Estate in place, Metro is looking to chart a course for its future growth. 

"While we are rebuilding the system, we need to address crowded buses, trains and stations and develop plans to grow the system to meet ridership demand," Catherine M. Hudgins, chairman of the Metro board, said in a statement. "The quality of life for our residents and our regional economic well-being depend on a robust Metro system."

In support of that strategic planning effort, this past week Metro launched a public campaign dubbed "Momentum: The Next Generation of Metro," which, as Jonathan O'Connell notes, is "aimed at eliciting answers to some big questions: How should the agency increase capacity to reduce crowding? Which additional types of transit are needed? What is the best way to ensure the agency's fiscal stability?"