The planned development around Metro stations doesn’t necessarily mean more clogged trains on the subway system, Metro officials say. Though it may seem counterintuitive, the new projects may help balance the load of commuters and help the agency bring in more fares without running lots of extra trains.
“We’re encouraging it,” said Nat Bottigheimer, Metro’s assistant general manager for planning and development. “We want to serve more transit customers. We see transit-oriented development as a really positive thing for Metro.”
The Washington region has an unusually high concentration of workers commuting into downtown D.C. each day for work, said Tom Harrington, Metro’s director of long-range planning. That means trains are packed in one direction during the morning and evening rush hours.
“The rest of the time and in the other direction, we do have capacity,” Harrington said.
Planned office buildings around Metro stations in Montgomery and Prince George’s counties could lure employees out to the suburbs rather than into the central core, according to Metro’s planners. That means the transit system could fill empty seats, increasing ridership without extra costs.
But, Harrington said, “It really depends on the character of the development.”
The proposals around the White Flint station include many jobs, according to Metro officials. But plans around Branch Avenue are less certain. If only homes are built there, inbound trains could be more crowded each morning.
Metro can run longer trains more frequently to carry more riders. If it had enough money for more rail cars and the energy to power them, the agency projects it could boost capacity by 18 percent on the Green Line and up to 37 percent on the Red Line, without making other changes. Yet there is a limit to how many eight-car trains can run and still have time to unload at each station.
Eventually, the region will need to look at other alternatives as the population grows. That could mean pricey additional tunnels to shuttle trains across the Potomac and Anacostia rivers, a midcity line under downtown, or cheaper options.
“We’re looking at all the different opportunities there are and looking at all the different ways to meet transit demand,” Bottigheimer said. “Can streetcars help? Can having quality networks of buses help out?”
