Ridership Survey

Metro's 2005 Development Related Ridership Survey (DRRS) (19.98 MB) updates a survey last conducted in the Washington Metropolitan Region in 1989. Forty-nine sites composed of high-density office and residential, retail, hotel, and entertainment land uses in 13 Metrorail station areas participated in the survey.

Survey findings show that rail transit use is more than competitive with the automobile now than it was in 1989 in those areas where Metro provides good rail service and access. In addition, survey results suggest that high-density, mixed-use development environments with good transit access generate more transit and walk trips, especially for midday trips from and visitor trips to office buildings. Results also continue to show that walking distance to a Metrorail is a major factor affecting transit ridership. Both office commute and residential figures show higher Metrorail (and overall transit) mode shares the closer a building is to a rail station.

Metro encourages readers to fully explore survey results and findings to better comprehend the relationship between land use and transit ridership.