If I were king there'd be a $10/day additional tax on parking for more than 4 hours within 1/4mi (or perhaps 1/2mi) within a metro station in the urban core. Parking is way too cheap downtown vs other cities.

The fact of sprawl is reflected in the recognition that Metro is a combo of commuter rail and rapid transit subway. As a combo, fares should reflect that.

Many cities have their most recent iteration airport well outside the city center (most notably Tokyo) and it costs more to get to than other closer-in destinations. Even Chicago which has a flat rate system charges extra to get to ORD (vs MDW).

More to your point about sprawl, on one hand I agree that we don't want people priced out of the city center to be penalized (and discouraged from transit) with nosebleed high prices, but there should be a balance of fairness. For every working class household pushed out, there's probably a more well off one that either wants a fancy new apartment that's cheaper in the exurbs than Navy Yard (vs an older unit in Columbia Heights) or a sprawling McMansion that's cheaper in Ashburn-upon-Dulles than Spring Valley (vs an attached home in Chevy Chase).

"We’re not the New York City Subway, we are a hybrid system,” Clarke said. “We are a commuter rail, and a subway system combined – and that is a big difference.”

Imagine if Brooklyn residents were subsidizing Metro North residents in Westchester or Stamford.

That's essentially what this map is saying for the Silver Line.

The inherent problem with Metro is that it's a compromise of rapid transit subway and commuter rail. You can't overcome exurban sprawl (which is inherently far from walkable urban centers by design) by shaving off a few stops.

Ashburn-upon-Dulles is best served by commuter rail, which, short of a third Metro track, could probably be returned over the old line from Leesburg that could also pickup other communities currently off Metro.