Metro News Release

For immediate release: April 25, 2008

Metrorail records third highest weekday ridership day

828,973 riders used Metrorail on Thursday, April 24

Hundreds of thousands of people helped Metro set the transit agency’s third highest ridership day in the history of the 32-year-old rail system on Thursday, April 24. Riders took 828,973 trips, which were 99,170 more trips than the same day last year. The Washington Nationals and Wizards games and nice weather contributed to Thursday’s high numbers.

This month, Metrorail weekday ridership has topped out at more than 800,000 riders on five occasions. On Wednesday, April 23, 803,802 riders used Metrorail. On Thursday, April 17, there were 828,418 passenger trips recorded. On Friday, April 11, there were 828,132 passenger trips recorded, and on Wednesday, April 9, there were 801,370 passenger trips.

Combined with Metrobus ridership, Metro provides more than 1.2 million trips on an average weekday.

Metrorail’s Top 10 Weekday Ridership Days

        Date             Ridership     Event
1      06-09-04     850,636        Reagan State Funeral
2      04-03-07     831,508        Cherry Blossoms/Baseball
3      04-24-08     828,973        Baseball/Basketball
4      04-17-08     828,418        Pope Visit/Soccer
5      04-11-08     828,132        Hockey/Baseball/Cherry Blossoms
6      04-10-06     821,283        Immigrant Rights Rally
7      01-20-93     811,257        Clinton Inaugural #1
8      03-31-06     808,108        Cherry Blossoms
9      06-22-07     805,153        Baseball
10    10-16-95     804,146        Million Man March

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News release issued at 9:27 am, April 25, 2008.