A new Washington Post and Schar School of Policy and Government poll shows the reputation of Washington, D.C.’s mass transit system is improving.
In the past, riders of Metro have criticized the transit agency for its lack of safety and reliability. In 2017, 42 percent of residents rated Metrorail positively. Today, 68 percent of riders rate the agency positively—a significant increase.
In addition, the poll found 55 percent of Washington, D.C. area residents support increasing prices to fund major metro projects, including adding another Metro line in Virginia.
“It’s a vote of confidence in the system,” says Stephen Fuller, director of the Schar School’s Stephen S. Fuller Institute for Research of the Washington Region’s Economic Future and a George Mason University professor of public policy. “I would attribute it to the new [7000-series rail] cars, which are bright and clean. The on-time service is better. The repair work has been professionally accomplished,”
Despite the positive increases, the poll also found that 40 percent of residents say they ride less than they did five years ago, citing reasons such as convenience, shutdowns, and high prices.
Read the full report here.