Public transit systems try to avoid a 'death spiral' as remote work hurts ridership

https://www.npr.org/2023/11/15/ [login to see] /public-transit-ridership-down-covid-pandemic-death-spiral
In the nation's capital, Metro trains are filling up again as federal workers come back to the office a few days a week.

But if you ask those riders, they will tell you the trains are less full than they used to be.

"It's not as crowded as it was before, pre-pandemic," said Gina Adu of Bowie, Md., while waiting for a train at the L'Enfant Plaza station. Damien Doyle of Cheverly, Md. agrees. "This is about it now — maybe the new normal," Doyle said.

The new normal is ridership that's back to about 80% of what it was before the pandemic nationwide — though it's not distributed the same way. Public transit systems are seeing higher volume in the middle of the week. But rush hour peaks are smaller, with more trips at other times of the day and evening.