Last week’s snowstorms hit Metro’s already shaky finances on two fronts: overbudget snow removal costs plus fewer fare dollars because of low ridership.
The system ran limited service most of the week, and much of the region stayed home as schools and the federal government remained shuttered.
Reduced Metrorail ridership
» Typical February weekday: 735,000 trips
» Friday, Feb. 5: 516,257, aboveground service stopped at 11 p.m.
» Saturday, Feb. 6: 63,111, underground service only and a systemwide early shutdown of 11 p.m. instead of 3 a.m.
» Sunday, Feb. 7: 90,139, underground service
» Monday, Feb. 8: 124,057, underground service
» Tuesday, Feb. 9: 261,522, full service for just over six hours before the next storm hit
» Wednesday, Feb. 10: 36,097, underground service
» Thursday, Feb. 11: 113,812, limited aboveground service beginning after 4:30 p.m.
» Friday, Feb 12: 524,054, all stations open by 4 p.m. but train service shut down at midnight, instead of 3 a.m.
» Saturday, Feb. 13: 314,815, system closes at midnight instead of 3 a.m.
» Sunday, Feb 14: 257,533
» Monday, Feb. 15: 310,136, Presidents Day holiday
SOURCE: Metro
The Examiner estimates the reduced rail ridership may have cost the agency $5.7 million in lost revenue from the workweek alone. Meanwhile, officials say Metro likely overspent the $2.5 million budgeted for snow removal for the year, though they don’t have a total cost. “We’re way beyond it,” said Metro Board Chairman Peter Benjamin.
The ridership drop on top of the snow costs compounds a problem Metro already faces. Since June, the agency has been reeling from ridership falling below expectations every month. The agency already planned to charge an emergency 10-cent fare surcharge starting March 1 to help recoup a portion of the resulting $40 million budget gap.
But now the agency could be looking at an even bigger hole once the lost revenue and snow removal costs are taken into account. The agency also expects to have a $189 million gap in the budget starting in July.
But now the agency could be looking at an even bigger hole once the lost revenue and snow removal costs are taken into account. The agency also expects to have a $189 million gap in the budget starting in July.
Weekday train ridership last week ranged from a high of 524,054 trips on Friday to a low of 36,097 on Wednesday when whiteout conditions sidelined even seasoned snowplow drivers. In the same week last year, the average weekday ridership was 735,107.
The agency stopped its aboveground rail service for most of last week, in addition to reducing hours and running skeletal Metrobus service. Buses were still not back to normal Tuesday. Bus ridership numbers were not available Tuesday but were likely low all week.
Typically only about 79 percent of the average rider’s train fare covers the actual trip, while the rest is subsidized by local jurisdictions. Bus fares cover even less of the cost.
