What’s the Matter With WMATA?

Time and time again, Metrorail – once a state-of-the-art transit system – has failed the city and its commuters. In June 2009, a Red Line collision during the afternoon rush killed nine people and injured 80, with some survivors trapped for hours in damaged cars. Two weeks ago, on Jan. 12, a woman was killed and 84 people were injured when smoke filled the L’Enfant Plaza station.

Then, on Jan. 20, there were reports of smoke in both the Rosslyn and Union Station Metro stations. What caused the smoke? Burning rubber from a train’s brakes. This should be no surprise to anyone who rides Metro in the warmer months, when it is rare for stations not to reek of burning rubber.

Other deficiencies abound, such as Metro’s constantly broken escalators (also known, when running, to injure riders by throwing them down), extended wait times (looking at you, Red Line), inexplicable service outages at certain stations (if yours, you know the ones) and deteriorating orange fabric floor covering in the cars (the often disgusting antithesis of a red carpet).
Metro service is so notoriously bad that there’s a Twitter account (@unsuckdcmetro) committed to documenting its flaws. The account churns out hundreds of tweets a week, with its 28,400 followers chiming in to report stories about bad personal experiences, sometimes with photo and video proof.

In the wake of the recent incidents, the agency in charge of Metrorail, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), is proposing to – what else? – raise fares and reduce service.
This proposal is a slap in the face, not only for regular Metro riders but for all Washington residents. A Metrorail ride can cost up to $6.90, an absurdly high price for the subpar service the system provides. (For comparison, a ride on the far more extensive New York City subway costs a flat $2.50).

If our metropolitan area hopes to continue to attract millennials, and the tax money and urban revitalization that come with them, Metrorail needs to be turned around. The bodies in charge – the governments of D.C., Maryland and Virginia, in addition to Congress – should use the Jan. 12 tragedy to spur large-scale improvements in the system. These may well require not only better management and funding, but a complete reorganization of this unresponsive agency.