Metro News Release

For immediate release: February 12, 2010

Snow, reduced services cause dramatic drop in Metrorail trips

February ridership snowed out

Metrorail ridership so far this week has seen ridership levels slow to a trickle with heavy snowfall and blizzard conditions. Only 113,812 trips were taken yesterday, Thursday, Feb. 11, as the rail system began to expand service to above-ground operations on the Red, Orange and Yellow lines, and restored full service on the Green Line. By comparison, there were 753,587 trips taken the previous Thursday (Feb. 4).

Snow began on Friday, Feb. 5, and began to impact ridership immediately. The numbers of trips taken have remained extremely low. Ridership on Saturday, Feb. 6 (63,111) was the lowest number of trips taken in the rail system since Christmas 2006 when 56,326 trips were recorded. That record was eclipsed Wednesday (Feb. 10) when only 36,097 trips were taken.

With today’s expanded service, and local government offices reopened, Metro will see an increase in ridership. The Metrorail system will close at midnight tonight, Feb. 12, instead of 3 a.m., to allow work crews to do additional snow removal.

February Metrorail ridership

News release issued at 10:13 am, February 12, 2010.