How One City Pulled Public Transit From The Brink
Using federal pandemic aid, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transportation Authority improved bus and train services and made fares more affordable in order to lure riders back. In February, ridership across the system was at 83% of pre-pandemic levels, and DC has now seen a faster transit recovery than any other major metro area with a comparable public transportation network. WMATA focused on providing a good and affordable service, reducing fares on weekends, adding more service during off-peak hours, and discounting passes for seniors, people with disabilities, and low-income riders. Building a service that people wanted to ride made subsidizing transit more popular than it had been for many years.
