Track repairs and inconsistent service have lead to a 14 percent decrease in ridership, enough to wipe out the year's gains of all other U.S. rail systems put together.
Without factoring in WMATA's Metrorail system, U.S. rail and subway ridership was up .6% between '15 and '16. But when you include the D.C. region's losses, that change becomes a .3% decrease in riders. "Most of the drop in Metro’s ridership can be attributed to the agency’s SafeTrack initiative, which is closing chunks of the system for weeks at a time for long-overdue repairs," Benjamin Freed writes for the Washingtonian.
TransitCenter, the New York research group that originally reported on these figures, says the other piece of the problem is that politicians in the region have not made the system a priority and failed to lead on the issue. Metro's issues look unlikely to be solved by federal money either. "Recently sworn-in Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao announced last month she will withhold federal funding from DC, Virginia, and Maryland until the three jurisdictions create a new safety commission to oversee Metro," Freed reports.
Read the full story: Metro Has Lost So Many Customers It’s Dragging Down National Ridership Figures
Density Increases Near Transit Station in D.C. But Ridership Does Not
D.C.'s ridership is down even as density around stations is up. More residents are choosing to drive or bike.
Showdown Over Late Night Hours on D.C. Metro
The general manager of D.C. Metro wants to extend limited late night rail service, in place for two years, into 2019 and beyond. Metro board members have had enough.
WMATA's SafeTrack: Behind Schedule and Over Budget
The SafeTrack repair program has shut down Metrorail lines for much of 2016—and the price for the repairs to the system keep going up.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Amtrak, CN end decades-long dispute with eight-year agreement
The new operating agreement establishes an updated framework for the companies to work together, including processes to resolve disputes.
Judges permit Denver to divert 77,000 acre feet from the Colorado River for reservoir expansion
Overuse and climate change have caused the Colorado River’s water levels to plummet.
NYC DOT wants faster, more permanent street upgrades
The city is examining ways to build more concrete infrastructure without getting entangled in 'decades-long' projects.
'Something we’ve never seen before:' rising utility rates could strain city finances nationwide
Data centers, climate change and other factors have caused utility rates in the United States to increase by 38% since 2020.
Trump to overrule local leaders, lease millions of acres of America’s Pacific Island territories’ seafloors to mining companies
International law says that the Indigenous people of America’s territories have a right to prior and informed consent regarding projects that impact their countries.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
KFH Group Inc.
Greater Baltimore Committee
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello