Metro News Release

For immediate release: July 2, 2004

June Metrorail Ridership shatters records

More people took trips on Metrorail during June than during any other month in Metrorail’s 28-year history. Ridership for the month was 17,649,609 and averaged 706,557 riders per weekday.

During June, ridership exceeded 700,000 on 16 days, and it marked the first time in Metro history that the average weekday ridership exceeded the 700,000 mark. Typical average weekday ridership for the fiscal year was 650,000.

Last month also saw the highest ridership day in Metrorail history on June 9 when 850,636 trips were taken on the same day there was a funeral procession through downtown Washington, DC, for former President Ronald Reagan. The following day on June 10, when Reagan’s casket was lying in state at the U.S. Capitol, 763,121 people took trips on Metrorail, the fourth highest ridership in the system’s history.

Seven days last month made Metro’s " Top Ten" ridership days list.

" The ridership totals for June were tremendous," said Metro CEO Richard A. White. " Metro matters to this region, yet we typically see a spike during June as the region sees an influx of visitors riding along with our regular customers. We can only speculate that the high price of gasoline may also be making an impact, however we have no way of measuring that possibility.

" As more people continue to turn to Metro and greater numbers continue to depend on us, it becomes even more important for our funding partners to recognize the importance of maintaining our aging infrastructure," Mr. White said. " We are at a crossroads where our transit system needs $1.5 billion to allow us to sustain our service levels and system reliability to meet future demands for service. We need additional capital funding to modernize our assets, to purchase additional buses and railcars and ensure an adequate level of security. Without that capital funding, severe overcrowding will eventually erode our system, driving commuters back onto the region’s already congested roads."

Metro’s top ten Ridership Days list

News release issued on July 2, 2004.