Metro News Release

For immediate release: August 7, 2008

Metrorail breaks its all-time monthly ridership record

In July 2008, more people took trips on Metrorail than any other month in Metrorail’s 32-year history.

Ridership for the month was 21,017,166 and averaged 811,559 riders per weekday. The previous all-time high for monthly ridership was June 2008, when 19,729,641 trips were made and averaged 798,456 riders per weekday.

Last month, ridership exceed 800,000 on 17 weekdays and Metro achieved eight top 10 ridership days in July, including the top weekday ridership day in history, 854,638 passenger trips on Friday, July 11.

Metro has seen record-breaking rail ridership with seven million more people boarding trains in fiscal 2008 compared to fiscal 2007, which June 30, 2008. Planners credit high gasoline prices, increased development around Metro stations and more traffic congestion for the increase in riders.

Not only did Metrorail achieve record ridership last month, Metrobus carried more passengers this past fiscal year. In fiscal year 2008, Metrobus recorded 132,848,806 trips, or 1.3 million trips more than fiscal year 2007.

With ridership reaching new heights, Metro re-launched its online commuter calculator last week on its homepage. The calculator compares the cost of driving versus taking Metro. Since then, more than 4,400 travel comparisons have been made, showing an average savings of 49 percent or $171 per person per month.

Visitors to the Web site calculator enter the number of miles driven during a commute, plus parking fees. The calculator adds the federal average vehicle cost per mile for gasoline, maintenance, depreciation and insurance.

The calculator also adds Metrobus fare, Metrorail fare, parking and driving costs. It assumes Metro fares are at rush-hour rates. Commuters whose schedules allow them to travel during off-peak times would realize even greater savings.

News release issued at 8:54 am, August 7, 2008.