Metro News Release

For immediate release: July 18, 2006

Metrorail Eclipses 200 Million Passengers For The First Time

For the first time in its 30-year history, more than 200 million people rode the Metrorail system during one entire fiscal year. For the entire 2006 fiscal year (July 1, 2005, through June 30, 2006), 205,604,151 customers went through the faregates, a 5.3 percent increase, or ten million more customers than in fiscal year 2005. The average weekday ridership in fiscal year 2006 was 699,599, compared to 667,973 in the previous year. This marks the 10th consecutive year of increased ridership for Metrorail.

Not only did Metrorail break a record for one fiscal year, but more people took trips on Metrorail during June than during any other month in Metrorail’s 30-year history. Ridership for the month was 18,745,046, and averaged 747,329 riders per weekday. The previous all-time high for ridership was last June, when 18,556,046 passenger trips were taken, and daily weekday ridership averaged 734,582.

Last month, ridership exceed 755,000 on 13 weekdays and Metro achieved eight top 10 ridership days in June with the highest being 786,843 on Tuesday, June 13.

“The ridership totals for fiscal year 2006, and for the month of June were phenomonal,” said Metro Interim General Manager Dan Tangherlini. “Typically, we see a spike in June as the region sees an influx of visitors riding along with our regular customers. However, the beautiful weather, the Washington Nationals, high gas prices, and improved rail service reliability throughout the year have all contributed to bring record ridership to Metrorail.”

Metrobus ridership in fiscal year 2006 was approximately 131,108,085 million, which represents a 2.7 percent increase from fiscal year 2005. 

News release issued on July 18, 2006.