Metro News Release

For immediate release: July 11, 2008

Metrorail sets third highest ridership day

844,530 riders used Metrorail on Thursday, July 10

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, July 10. Riders took 844,530 trips, which were 47,879 more trips than the comparable day last year. Metro analysts say the Washington Nationals game and continued high gas prices contributed to Thursday’s high numbers.

So far this month, Metrorail weekday ridership has topped 800,000 trips six times. In June, 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    07-10-08    844,530    Baseball
4    07-08-08    835,072    Baseball/Basketball
5    07-02-08    834,956    Smithsonian
6    04-03-07    831,508    Cherry Blossoms/Baseball
7    06-24-08    831,464    Baseball/Basketball
8    06-20-08    829,998    Baseball/Basketball
9    04-24-08    828,973    Baseball/Basketball
10  04-17-08    828,418    Pope Visit/Soccer

News release issued at 10:40 am, July 11, 2008.