Metro News Release

For immediate release: July 9, 2008

Metrorail sets third highest ridership day

835,072 riders used Metrorail on Tuesday, July 8

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 Tuesday, July 8. Riders took 835,072 trips, which were 71,923 more trips than the same comparable day last year. Metro analysts say the Washington Nationals and Washington Mystics games and continued high gas prices contributed to Tuesday’s high numbers.

Last month, Metrorail weekday ridership surpassed the 800,000 mark on 12 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    07-08-08    835,072   Baseball/Basketball
4    07-02-08    834,956   Smithsonian
5    04-03-07    831,508   Cherry Blossoms/Baseball
6    06-24-08    831,464   Baseball/Basketball
7    06-20-08    829,998   Baseball/Basketball
8    04-24-08    828,973   Baseball/Basketball
9    04-17-08    828,418   Pope Visit/Soccer
10  04-11-08    828,132   Hockey/Baseball/Cherry Blossoms

News release issued at 11:55 am, July 9, 2008.