Being a resident living in the DC suburbs, I use this service daily. If you are a tourist, you will appreciate the cleanliness of the system. The stations are clean, and the cars are nice. Also, the frequency of trains are good during the peak times of the day. However, that's where my accolades end.
The cons on the WMATA metro rail are listed below.
1. Frequent malfunctioning of fare gates and fare machines causing a bottleneck trying to exit the system.
2. There is no 24 hour service. First train leaves its origin station at 5AM Monday-Friday, and 7AM on Saturday & Sunday. The system closes at around midnight Sunday-Thursday and around 3AM Friday and Saturday. So, if you have to get to a job outside those hours then you may need another mode of transportation.
3. There is no cell phone coverage in most of the tunnels. I am using AT&T. So, if you need to make a call the odds are it won't work. However, in some stations underground it has worked.
4. The fares are considerably high compared to other subway systems. The one way fare from Shady Grove to downtown DC during peak time is $5.90 with a SmartTrip card. It's $1 more with a paper farecard last time I checked. Plus, you can park your car at some stations for an additional $5.10. So, the total round trip fare plus parking on a daily basis from the station closest to my home is $16.90 a day.
5. Just like with any public transportation it does have some crime. I have only experienced the disruptive passengers on weekends during the evening hours, and weeknights.
6. The system is being rebuilt in many places which lead to significant delays at certain times. You may wait up to 20 minutes for the train, and have another 15 minute wait at a location where they have only 1 track in service.
7. There are no express trains like they have in NYC.
Overall for what WMATA charges to use the system is pretty high considering the lack of some key services. The system was mainly designed to transport govt employees into the District from the outlying suburbs. If you are not a govt employee and have odd hours who might have an issue.
This concludes my review based on my own personal experience. read more