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.