How Metro became D.C.'s favorite brand
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Out: Repping D.C. with sports swag. In: Repping D.C. with Metro swag.
While the Commanders flounder and Nats rebuild, our transit system is winning — breaking record ridership numbers and releasing merch that's hotter than a Red Line rail at rush hour.
Why it matters: Metro turns 50 this year, and it's suddenly D.C.'s underdog du jour — rebounding from its pandemic slump, cleaner and more reliable, with a surprisingly sassy online personality and undeniably cool swag.
Driving the news: Demand for Metro merch was up 300% in 2025, year over year, according to WMATA.
- Holiday "Metro Sleighs" scarves sold out in a day. Christmas sweaters, $50 a pop, were gone in a week. Even discerning influencers like @DCHomos raved over the fresh quarter zips ("NEED").
And of course, what's more D.C. than transit nerdery — but make it fashion.
Behind the scenes: Metro's Chief Customer Officer Sarah Meyer tells Axios the rebrand kicked into gear as crime fears spiked post-pandemic.
- "We had to create our own storytelling," she says. "We had to get our own pictures out there to show people, you know, what transit is really like for the average user."
- Perhaps the biggest influencer: Metro CEO-turned-local celebrity Randy Clarke, king of the subway selfie, who's credited with pulling D.C.'s public transit out of its pandemic slump.
- He's always, Meyer notes, "willing to hawk a sweater or two."
Zoom in: Metro's marketing team leans hard into what makes the system — and D.C. — distinctive. A "Brutiful" line celebrates Metro's iconic waffle-vault stations. For a recent cherry blossom collection, they tapped local streetwear designer Chris Pyrate, who's worked with the Wizards and Caps.
- There's no staid gift shop. New drops roll out via flash pop-ups at MLK Library and elsewhere (plus online), with themes like retro collegiate gear for back-to-school.
- Ultimately, the goal is to get more people off the street, into the underground. "I recognize the value of merchandise," says Meyer. "It's a walking advertisement."
The intrigue: Metro merch has become a subtle barometer of system health: the cheekier the swag, the smoother the service.
- Case in point: The speedo-esque "Foggy Bottom" swim briefs released last summer — ahead of a fiscal year that saved $120 million and saw ridership climb.
- "We can only do this if the service is really good," Meyer says.
What's next: Metro celebrates its 50th anniversary in March. Expect tributes to Massimo Vignelli, the late Italian designer behind WMATA's station maps, a coffee table book — and even vintage items for sale like bus stops and rail car seats.
- As for the railcar carpeting (RIP): "I'm not sure people would want it in its current state," says Meyer, "and getting it cleaned up might not be fiscally responsible."
The bottom line: Since coming from New York's MTA three years ago, Meyer says she's seen a shift. "There's so much more love for the Metro system — and the DMV."
- "We've had a rough couple of years — for a variety of reasons — and Metro seems to be something that everybody can see, the government is working for people."