The Washington, DC Metro Is Back: Just a few weeks ago, there was a series of stories speculating that the Washington, D.C., housing market might fall through the floor thanks to the work of DOGE in cutting jobs. With agencies across the executive branch suddenly shedding jobs, the theory went, this could lead to a massive selloff in our nation’s capital.
While unemployment claims in D.C. are certainly on the rise, questions have been raised about such claims. Realtor.com, in particular, pointed to a photo from one of its databases about a housing selloff in Washington that had gone viral and called it misleading, while others have pointed out that trends in the region aren’t especially different from how they were before the change in presidents.
Besides, the federal government’s personnel is not entirely concentrated in Washington. All sorts of federal functions are performed in other parts of the country, with as many as 20 percent of federal workers based somewhere other than the DC area.
A story this week pointed to a trend in the opposite direction when it comes to how many people are out and about these days in Washington, including on public transportation.
A Crowded Metro in Washington, DC
The NBC station in Washington reported recently that ridership on the Metro train and bus system in that city is nearing a five-year high. Two days early this month, in particular, were among the highest in the Metro system since the onset of the pandemic nearly five years ago.
Metro is expecting to hit the 1 million mark for riders soon, the station reported, citing metro General Manager Randy Clarke. The same story said that the system is adding service, including more use of eight-car trains rather than six cars.
The main reason for the influx? The mandate that federal workers return to the office, along with some other factors, including warmer weather of late, and high demand for travel to the games of the Washington Capitols, who are having a first-place season. The NBA’s Wizards less so, although they play in the same arena.
Another fact per the report? Crime in the Metro system is at 7-year lows.
Years of Crime Concerns on Metro in DC
This isn’t to say crime on the Metro is a thing of the past. In a viral video in February, a man was robbed of his Canada Goose jacket on a Metro train. News 4 reported last month that the Metro was “considering” banning violent offenders “who have committed sex offenses within the transit system or assaulted its employees.”
The Washington Examiner reported in May of last year that riders were generally happy with the train system in Washington, but they were worried about crime. There was a reported doubling of crime on the Metro system between 2022 and 2023.
A Difficult Return to Office
Trump, in one of his first-day executive orders, demanded a return to the office for federal workers, although the order did not specify what day they were to return.
Per a CNN report this month, the process hasn’t been especially easy. In some offices, Wi-Fi and electricity are not ready. One employee at a Department of Homeland Security office in Dallas “tripped over a pile of cords on her first day back, resulting in a large gash on her foot.”
In some cases, the CNN report said, workers have been ordered to return to offices that don’t exist, thanks to the government letting their leases expire during the time that they were away from the office. Indeed, the Trump Administration has sought to get rid of some of the government’s real estate.
The return-to-office mandate is also seen as a mitigating factor in the housing market. There are likely some workers who, during the time that remote work has been allowed, have been spending time out of town. Now, those based in Washington will be required to be in town.
About the Author: Stephen Silver
Stephen Silver is an award-winning journalist, essayist and film critic, and contributor to the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Broad Street Review and Splice Today. The co-founder of the Philadelphia Film Critics Circle, Stephen lives in suburban Philadelphia with his wife and two sons. For over a decade, Stephen has authored thousands of articles that focus on politics, technology, and the economy. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) at @StephenSilver, and subscribe to his Substack newsletter.
