Survey: Metrorail users more affluent, better educated
By: Kytja Weir
Examiner Staff Writer
May 17, 2009
Metrorail riders are more likely to have a college degree and earn higher wages, while those who ride the transit system’s bus service are more likely to be minorities and not own a car.
The demographic breakdown of Metro riders, published last week by the transit agency, paints a picture of the divide between who uses what is intended to be an interlocking system. The statistics date from 2007 but are the latest available.
» Education levels vary, with 80 percent of rail riders having at least a college degree compared with 59 percent of Metrobus riders. Similarly, the median income of Metrorail riders is $102,110, while Metrobus riders earn a median $69,620 annually.
» One of every five Metrobus riders does not have a car in his household. Meanwhile, only one in every 50 Metrorail riders reported being carless, with the typical rail rider reporting two vehicles per household.
» More than half of Metrobus riders are black, Latino or Asian/Pacific Islander. But only a quarter of Metrorail riders are such racial or ethnic minorities.
Those differences were highlighted earlier in the spring when Metro officials were eyeing $13.6 million in cuts to bus service amid a budget shortfall, while opting to spare the rail system.
Thousands of riders decried the plan, arguing that it unfairly hit minority communities, with the poorest and most transit-dependent riders. The bus service already provides less consistent service, with one of every four buses arriving late. Many of the routes have truncated schedules, they said, running only during rush hours on weekdays.
The board ultimately decided to avoid almost all the cuts by tapping into the agency’s reserve accounts to bridge the budget gap.
The survey also shows more women use the transit system than men, with females outnumbering males 2-to-1 on Metrobus. The gap on Metrorail is smaller, with 53 percent female compared with 47 percent male.
The survey results do show some similarities between the two transit modes. Riders’ age and time living in the region were comparable between the bus and rail systems.
kweir@washingtonexaminer.com
