Coronavirus

Washington D.C. Eyes Mass Transit Cuts As Ridership Plummets

With a $500M deficit, Washington Metro is considering closing 19 stations, cutting buses, and ending weekend service.

Washington D.C. Eyes Mass Transit Cuts As Ridership Plummets
Carolyn Kaster / AP
SMS

Washington D.C.'s Metro transit authority is proposing drastic measures to stay afloat financially.

That includes ending weekend service, cutting half of bus routes and closing 19 stations. 

Metro is facing a $500 million deficit because there just aren't as many people using the system as there were before the pandemic. 

Bus usage last week was between 16% and 55% below pre-pandemic levels, while weekday rail trips were down between 77 percent and 86 percent, the Washington Post reported.