Metro News Release
For immediate release: July 7, 2003
More than half million passengers entered Metrorail on July 4th
On July 4th, the first day that Metrorail was open until 3 a.m., 536,832 customers entered the Metrorail system. The busiest stations near the National Mall were Federal Triangle, Union Station, L’Enfant Plaza, Archives-Navy Memorial, and Metro Center.
Friday’s total was a 51 percent increase compared to last year, when 356,673 passengers had entered the system during the holiday.
Throughout the day, Metro reported no significant operational problems or delays on either Metrorail or Metrobus.
July 4th also marked the beginning of an 18-month pilot project that will see Metrorail staying open an extra hour--until 3 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights. On Friday night, 2,422 people took advantage of the extra hour of travel time and on Saturday night, 1,144 people boarded during the extra hour. There were no unusual incidents that took place during the expanded late-night service on either Friday or Saturday.
Recent Fourth of July Metrorail ridership
| Date | Ridership | Weather/Temp. |
|---|---|---|
| Friday, July 4, 2003 | 536,832 | Sunny/90 |
| Thursday, July 4, 2002 | 356,673 | Sunny/99 |
| Wednesday, July 4, 2001 | 486,256 | Rain/86 |
| Tuesday, July 4, 2000 | 582,450 | Sunny/86 |
| Sunday, July 4, 1999 | 540,945 | Sunny/102 |
| Saturday, July 4, 1998 | 585,354 | Sunny/88 |
| Friday, July 4, 1997 | 593,419 | Sunny/84 |
| Thursday, July 4, 1996 | 569,894 | Sunny/83 |
| Tuesday, July 4, 1995 | 475,156 | Rain/86 |
News release issued on July 7, 2003.