Posted on Nov 15, 2023
Public transit systems try to avoid a 'death spiral' as remote work hurts ridership
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https://www.npr.org/2023/11/15/ [login to see] /public-transit-ridership-down-covid-pandemic-death-spiral
In the nation's capital, Metro trains are filling up again as federal workers come back to the office a few days a week.
But if you ask those riders, they will tell you the trains are less full than they used to be.
"It's not as crowded as it was before, pre-pandemic," said Gina Adu of Bowie, Md., while waiting for a train at the L'Enfant Plaza station. Damien Doyle of Cheverly, Md. agrees. "This is about it now — maybe the new normal," Doyle said.
The new normal is ridership that's back to about 80% of what it was before the pandemic nationwide — though it's not distributed the same way. Public transit systems are seeing higher volume in the middle of the week. But rush hour peaks are smaller, with more trips at other times of the day and evening.
In the nation's capital, Metro trains are filling up again as federal workers come back to the office a few days a week.
But if you ask those riders, they will tell you the trains are less full than they used to be.
"It's not as crowded as it was before, pre-pandemic," said Gina Adu of Bowie, Md., while waiting for a train at the L'Enfant Plaza station. Damien Doyle of Cheverly, Md. agrees. "This is about it now — maybe the new normal," Doyle said.
The new normal is ridership that's back to about 80% of what it was before the pandemic nationwide — though it's not distributed the same way. Public transit systems are seeing higher volume in the middle of the week. But rush hour peaks are smaller, with more trips at other times of the day and evening.
Public transit systems try to avoid a 'death spiral' as remote work hurts ridership
Posted from npr.org
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Posted 6 mo ago
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
..."Rennert notes that bus ridership is roughly back to where it was before the pandemic. And that the most nimble transit agencies — in systems in Richmond and Cincinnati and Tucson — have more riders now than before.
So does the light rail system in the Seattle area.
"We expanded the service. We're reaching more people in more places. And so therefore, we have more riders," said Julie Timm, the CEO of Sound Transit, one of the few rail systems in the country that's seen a jump in ridership since 2019.
In fact, Sound Transit set ridership records over the summer when Seattle hosted Major League Baseball's All-Star Game, and a stop on the Taylor Swift tour.
"What I think we're seeing as a victory here in Seattle [is] a virtuous cycle of you put the funding in, you keep a reliable service and you see people use the service," Timm said. "When they have those good experiences riding, they come back, they ride again.""
..."Rennert notes that bus ridership is roughly back to where it was before the pandemic. And that the most nimble transit agencies — in systems in Richmond and Cincinnati and Tucson — have more riders now than before.
So does the light rail system in the Seattle area.
"We expanded the service. We're reaching more people in more places. And so therefore, we have more riders," said Julie Timm, the CEO of Sound Transit, one of the few rail systems in the country that's seen a jump in ridership since 2019.
In fact, Sound Transit set ridership records over the summer when Seattle hosted Major League Baseball's All-Star Game, and a stop on the Taylor Swift tour.
"What I think we're seeing as a victory here in Seattle [is] a virtuous cycle of you put the funding in, you keep a reliable service and you see people use the service," Timm said. "When they have those good experiences riding, they come back, they ride again.""
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