Metro News Release

For immediate release: June 30, 2008

Metrorail sets ninth highest ridership day 825,862 riders used Metrorail on Friday, June 27

Hundreds of thousands of people helped Metro set the transit agency’s ninth highest ridership day in the history of the 32-year-old rail system on Friday, June 27. Riders took 825,862 trips, which were 61,310 more trips than the same comparable day last year, and were over 2,000 more trips than the previous ninth highest ridership day. Metro analysts say the Smithsonian Folk Life Festival, the Washington Nationals game and high gas prices contributed to Friday’s high numbers.

Metrorail ridership typically peaks every June. However, since April of this year, Metrorail weekday ridership has surpassed the 800,000 mark on 17 separate occasions. 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 06-25-08 846,388 Smithsonian/Baseball
3 04-03-07 831,508 Cherry Blossoms/Baseball
4 06-24-08 831,464 Baseball/Basketball
5 06-20-08 829,998 Baseball/Basketball
6 04-24-08 828,973 Baseball/Basketball
7 04-17-08 828,418 Pope Visit/Soccer
8 04-11-08 828,132 Hockey/Baseball/Cherry Blossoms
9 06-27-08 825,862 Smithsonian/Baseball
10 06-18-08 823,516 No event

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News release issued at 4:19 pm, June 30, 2008.