Metro had a strong month in March, running 20.3 million trips on its rail system — a million more than a year earlier.
But the transit agency still fell below its projections for how many riders it would carry, according to figures the agency provided to the Washington Examiner. That continuing drop, compounded by months of lower-than-expected ridership, has put into question whether the emergency fare surcharge enacted earlier this year will cover the gap caused by the faltering ridership.
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Month
Rail trips
Change vs. last year
Change vs. budget projection
July
20.5 million
-2.3 %
-4 %
August
17.9 million
-3.3 %
-7.3 %
September
17.8 million
-1.8 %
-5.8 %
October
19 million
-3.6 %
-5.8 %
November
16.4 million
+1.6 %
-4.8 %
December: 16 million
-2.3 %
-6.1 %
January: 16.5 million
-11.2 %
-2.6 %
February: 13.4 million
-19.1 %
-22.5 %
March
20.3 million
+6.2 %
-1.2%
Source: Metro
In total, Metro has fallen behind its estimates for each of the nine months so far in the current fiscal year and ridership has been below the previous year’s figures for seven of those months. That translates to less money coming into the agency from fares. Metro officials have known for months that meant trouble; they started charging a dime extra on fares in late February to cover the projected $40 million emergency budget shortfall from such diminished ridership.
But Metro’s board of directors decided in January to enact the fare surcharge, before February’s dramatic snowstorms made matters worse than initially feared. Metro shut down aboveground train service for several days and closed early on others.
Accordingly, train ridership fell 22.5 percent below what the agency had expected that month, agency figures show. Through the end of February, total passenger revenue was $404 million, $46 million or 10 percent below the budgeted expectations.
The ridership then continued to fall below projections in March. Now Metro is facing the question: Will the emergency fare surcharge even cover the yawning gap?
The ridership then continued to fall below projections in March. Now Metro is facing the question: Will the emergency fare surcharge even cover the yawning gap?
“It’s too early to forecast where we will be and where the 10-cent fare charge will be,” spokesman Steven Taubenkibel said.
Metro riders are already staring down more belt-tightening, with agency officials considering a round of permanent fare increases, some service cuts and other measures to fill an $189 million shortfall projected in the next budget.
Yet Taubenkibel said the agency was “cautiously optimistic” that the fare surcharge, on top of increasingly strong ridership, might make up for February’s hit. The fare surcharge doesn’t appear to have dampened riders’ willingness to use the system, as some fare increases have done. He said agency staff also are heartened by the ridership improvements in March. They are waiting for final April statistics but early numbers seem encouraging: Metro broke some ridership records at the start of April as unseasonably warm weather, cherry blossoms, spring break and professional sporting events brought out the crowds.
