Washington, D.C. Metro ridership reached its highest level since the COVID-19 pandemic in February, signaling a significant rebound in commuter traffic following the Trump administration’s push for in-person work.
With a 10% increase in ridership during the first half of fiscal year 2025, Metro is set to exceed 1 million daily passengers across its rail and bus networks.
The large growth in ridership comes after President Donald Trump signed an executive order on his first day in office mandating all federal workers return to work in-person, but commuter traffic was already on the upswing prior to Trump’s order.
The Washington Metropolitan Transit Area Authority has seen 47 consecutive months of ridership growth, with an average of over 800,000 daily trips, according to the transit agency’s FY25 Q2 Service Excellence Report.
With its increased ridership, WMATA is projecting a $20 million increase in revenue from $444 million to $464 million in fiscal year 2026.
“We’re seeing ridership increases for several reasons, and federal return to office is only one part of that,” Metro General Manager and CEO Randy Clarke said. “Many industries have implemented return to work policies and discretionary travel also increases as the weather gets warmer.”
He added, “More people are going out in the evenings and soon tourists will be visiting for cherry blossom season. Running really great, frequent, and reliable service also contributes to our ridership successes.”
The National Cherry Blossom Festival began March 20 and runs through April 13. Last year, attendance reached 1.6 million, surpassing the pre-pandemic figure of 1.5 million in 2019. The Smithsonian/National Mall Metro station is a short walk from the Tidal Basin, home to the cherry blossom trees.
FEDERAL WORKERS ORDERED TO RETURN TO WORK TO FIND THEMSELVES OFFICELESS
Customers report an 89% satisfaction rate with the Metro rail. The on-time pick up performance of the rail is at 87.7%, missing its 92% goal. However, Metro rail exceeded its target of scheduled stops delivered with 97.8% of its scheduled stops being met.
Crime in the Metro system is also down 40% during the first two quarters of 2025 compared to the first half of 2024.
