Maybe a drop in ridership and revenue will provide the wake-up call Metro needs.
But then again, this is the Metro system we're talking about, so it's hard to tell.
Metro officials said ridership on both its train and bus systems fell in July, according to the Examiner.
Ridership on Metrorail fell 2.3 percent in July compared to the same period last year. The decline follows a 1.7 percent increase in June.
Meanwhile, bus ridership fell 4.1 percent in July compared to a year earlier after a 1.6 percent drop in June.
The drop in ridership comes after a June 22 crash on Metrorail that killed nine people and injured 70 more. However, Metro spokesman Steven Taubenkibel said officials don't know whether the decline in ridership is due to the crash or the economy. We're guessing they're going to conduct an investigation into the numbers because, as we all know, that's what Metro does best.
Perhaps if they investigate they'll see that people are frustrated with all of the major delays and overcrowded trains they're pushing through the system, as well as the sleeping, reading and texting workers who leave few with any sense of confidence in Metro safety.
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Last summer, the transit agency hit new ridership highs as gasoline prices spiked, but it may be seeing the effects of lower gas prices and job losses since then. Or people are finally just fed up with it all. Can't blame 'em, really.
