Metro News Release

For immediate release: October 18, 2005

Metro Provides a Commuter Calculator for People Wanting to Learn How Much They Can Save by Using Mass Transit

Is the high price of gas affecting your budget" Metro has a new way for people to calculate the cost of driving compared to riding Metrorail and Metrobus.

Patrons can now use an online calculator at Metro’s Web site at http://www.metroopensdoors.com http://www.wmata.com/riding/cost_calculator.cfm to calculate how much they can save riding Metro instead of driving. The calculator shows costs and fares Metrorail, Metrobus and parking.

The calculator is in a new "Commuter tips" area of the site at http://www.wmata.com/riding/commuting_tips.cfm containing time and money-saving commuting advice.

"The Metro savings calculator is another way for people to determine the most cost-effective way of traveling in the Washington region," said Leona Agouridis, Metro’s Assistant General Manager for Customer Communications. "For anyone who is still trying to decide if it’s less expensive to ride Metro than drive, our savings calculator will provide the answers that people are looking for."

Ridership on Metrorail this past September climbed to 17,187,600 passengers trips, with an average weekday ridership total of 701,558 trips. In September 2004, there were 15,906,195 passenger trips taken on Metrorail and the average weekday ridership total was 662,637 passenger trips  a 6 percent daily increase from 2004 to 2005.

News release issued on October 18, 2005.