Population vs. Total Metrorail Daily Ridership Average Daily Ridership vs. Total Metrorail Daily Ridership Average Daily Ridership

While the Daily Ridership graph seems to show us "good" news about public transportation, we need to look deeper. This view of that graph versus the population of the city itself betrays the reality that people are moving farther from the city center and that people who work in the city are less likely to live in it. Those two realities actually have a negative effect on the environment and on overall city life (schools, social capital, etc.).

Before we get too excited about the ridership figures (which I think are very good), we must take them in the context of the overall growth of the metro area.

Great insight. Thank you for sharing this :)

Also, if you change the comparison to absolute the graph shows actual population and ridership instead of relative values: http://www.swivel.com/graph...