Metro News Release

For immediate release: April 8, 2010

Metrorail recorded 4th highest ridership day on Wednesday, April 7

Extremely crowded conditions on Metrorail anticipated throughout the remainder of Cherry Blossom events

Hundreds of thousands of people helped Metro set the transit agency’s fourth highest weekday ridership day in the history of the 34-year-old rail system on Wednesday, April 7, when 867,624 trips were recorded on the Metrorail system.

Yesterday’s high ridership was attributed to the Cherry Blossom Festival the Washington Nationals game, and unseasonably warm weather conditions. It was the third day this month that made the top five high ridership day list.

With Cherry Blossom Festival events continuing through this weekend, customers should expect that crowds will continue to be heavy, so riders should build extra time into their travel plans due to the larger than usual number of people using Metrorail and Metrobus. It may be difficult to board and exit crowded trains at the Smithsonian Metrorail station on the Blue and Orange lines. Metro encourages customers to also use the Union Station, Archives-Navy Mem’l Penn Quarter, Federal Triangle and L’Enfant Plaza Metrorail stations to the National Mall.

Combined with Metrobus ridership, Metro provides more than 1.2 million trips on an average weekday.

Metrorail’s Top 5 Weekday Ridership Days
Date Ridership Event
1 01-20-09 1,120,000 Obama Inaugural
2 04-02-10 891,240 Cherry Blossoms/basketball
3 04-01-10 877,890 Cherry Blossoms/hockey
4 04-07-10 867,624 Cherry Blossoms/baseball
5 01-19-09 866,681 Obama Inaugural Activities

News release issued at 1:27 pm, April 8, 2010.