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EXPAND METRO? MY GOD, the incompetent, overpaid oafs at 600 5th St. NW can’t handle the present 20-year-old, 103-mile system. There’s no point in giving them more track to manage (“Expanding Metro: Where Does It Go From Here?,” 11/25). This area has the second-worst traffic congestion in the country, yet Metro ridership is decreasing.
People ride public transportation when it is frequent, fast, and comfortable. Metro fails miserably on all counts. The trains are slow, noisy, and overcrowded. They run infrequently and irregularly, though they break down like clockwork during a limited period of scheduled service. Fares aren’t cheap, and there has been zero improvement in the system over the past year.
As long as Metro management can sit on its bloated collective duff and rake in the pay despite declining ridership, there will be no improvement. Management pay must be directly tied to the number of riders and the quality of service. Until the present system improves, there’s no point in expanding it.
Arlington, Va.