Where D.C.'s Metro Brings in the Most Money

Aaron Wiener shares insight into a map showing "average daily fare revenue by entry station." The map was originally shared by D.C. Metro's planning blog.

Wiener mines the map for insight into how the system makes money: "The cash cows are clustered in two areas: the downtown employment centers and the ends of the Red, Orange, Blue, Silver, and Yellow lines in the suburbs. The lowest-revenue stations are located mostly in outlying District neighborhoods and in the inner suburbs, particularly on the Green, Orange, and Blue lines."

Wiener notes that the system's planners did not originally prioritize low-income neighborhoods located near the center of the city. He also describes the distinction, in the case of the Metro system and its station locations, between revenue and profit.