As President Donald Trump has directed a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, gas prices show no signs of easing, causing a strain on commuters nationwide.
In Washington DC, that shift is beginning to show up on Metro trains and on WMATA buses, where ridership is ticking higher just as spring tourism season brings a flock of tourists to the DMV.
Although increases cannot be solely attributed to gas prices, higher gas prices may be contributing to changes in commuter behavior in the DC region.
Here’s what to know.
Are More People Riding the Metro Recently?
The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority said March was the busiest month on the Metro since 2020, with 14.3 million trips taken on the rail. That number represents an 8% increase from March 2025.
March 31 was the Metro’s busiest weekday since 2020, as 621,000 trips were taken. Five days earlier, four stations had their busiest days since 2020, including the NoMa-Galluadet U stop on the Red Line having its best day ever.
It’s not just the Metro, but also the WMATA buses that are seeing surges in ridership. WMATA said the last full week of March had three of its top five days in the last year, with 2.5 million bus trips over the course of the week.
Why Are More People Riding the Metro?
Gas prices are likely one reason why there has been such an increase in riders on trains. In DC, the average gas price Monday was $4.28 per gallon, more than $1 higher than a year ago.
“Gas prices are clearly up. There’s no question about that. But I would say it this way – no matter what gas prices are, Metro is always going to be cheaper than driving a car,” Metro General Manager Randy Clarke told NBC Washington.
Because the Metro has had 61 straight months of ridership growth, increases cannot be solely attributed to rising gas prices.
Spring tourist season, which includes the National Cherry Blossom Festival and tourists traveling to the Tidal Basin for peak bloom, are other significant factors that have fueled recent increases. Other reasons include the Blossom Kite Festival, Petalpalooza, the Washington Nationals beginning their season and last weekend’s Cherry Blossom 10-Mile race that around 20,000 people competed in.
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