WMATA: Metro sets new record for highest Saturday Metrorail ridership

[marmar]

Metro sets new record for highest Saturday Metrorail ridership

For immediate release: October 31, 2010


Preliminary count estimates 825,437 Metrorail trips taken on Saturday, October 30

Metro set a new record for highest Saturday Metrorail ridership on Saturday, October 30. Officials estimate 825,437 Metrorail trips were taken, with many people traveling to the National Mall for the “Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear.”

In anticipation of the crowds, Metro added extra trains, and additional Metro personnel were on hand to assist customers at the fare gates and with purchasing fare cards. But because of the record setting ridership, Metro experienced unprecedented crowds throughout the day with long lines at many end-of-the-line stations early in the day as customers waited to enter the system.

Average Saturday Metrorail ridership is typically about 350,000. Yesterday’s record ridership surpassed the 1991 Desert Storm rally, which was held on June 8, 1991 and held the top spot for 19 years.

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

Metrorail’s Top Five Saturday Ridership Days
Date Ridership Event

1
10/30/10 825,437 Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear

2
06/08/91 786,358 Desert Storm

3
10/04/97 725,909 Promise Keepers

4
04/04/09 713,148 Cherry Blossoms/Baseball/Basketball/Soccer

5
04/03/10 674,173 Cherry Blossoms/Baseball/Soccer

http://www.wmata.com/about_metro/news/PressReleaseDetail.cfm?ReleaseID=4717

[thunder rising]

1. 475437 more riders on that day ... obviously a coincidence

Makes you wonder how big that crowd really was.

[Canuckistanian]

2. The Beck ralliers all had '94 Cavaliers

Or limousines. They don't do public transportation.

[Initech]

3. Beck fans drive Hummers, Excursions, and other large SUVs.