Metro News Release

For immediate release: July 30, 2008

Metrorail sets eighth highest ridership day

834,705 riders used Metrorail on Tuesday, July 29

Hundreds of thousands of people helped Metro set the transit agency’s eighth highest ridership day in the history of the 32-year-old rail system on Tuesday, July 29. Riders took 834,705 trips, which were 60,594 more trips than the comparable day last year. Metro analysts say the Washington Nationals game and continued high gas prices contributed to Tuesday’s high numbers.

So far this month, Metrorail weekday ridership has topped 800,000 trips 12 times. In June, ridership also 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    07-11-08    854,638    Baseball/Women Of Faith
2    06-09-04    850,636    Reagan State Funeral
3    06-25-08    846,388    Smithsonian/Baseball
4    07-10-08    844,530    Baseball
5    07-17-08    841,607    Alpha Kappa Alpha Convention
6    07-08-08    835,072    Baseball/Basketball
7    07-02-08    834,956    Smithsonian
8    07-29-08    834,705    Baseball
9    04-03-07    831,508    Cherry Blossoms/Baseball
10  06-24-08    831,464    Baseball/Basketball

News release issued at 2:44 pm, July 30, 2008.