April has been a big month for Metro – the transit agency broke rail ridership records three times in two weeks.
Metro carried 828,973 riders on Thursday – the third-highest ridership number in the transit agency’s history.
Tallies that high usually are reserved for presidential inaugurations or the Cherry Blossom Festival, but Thursday was marked by nothing more than fine weather and Washington Nationals game and Washington Wizards playoff game.
Metro saw its fourth- and fifth-highest ridership days this month as well.
The transit system moved 828,418 riders April 17, the day of the Papal Mass at Nationals Stadium, and 828,132 riders April 11, a day when the Cherry Blossom Festival, a Nationals game and a Washington Capitals hockey playoff game coincided.
Metro’s average weekday ridership last year was 726,084, but the agency carried more than 800,000 riders on five days this month.
“It’s another example of how important the rail system is to the region – people are using it for sports events, they’re using to get to and from work and appointments,” Metro spokesman Steven Taubenkibel said. “We’re here to provide service for them.”
Despite the crunch, Metro experienced few service problems on its record-breaking days.
The agency had to offload a Green Line train at L’Enfant Plaza the morning of the Papal Mass at Nationals Park because the doors wouldn’t close on overstuffed railcars, and Red Line riders experienced a 20-minute delay later that morning because of a signal problem at the Dupont Circle station.
April is generally one of the highest ridership months for Metro because of an influx of tourists and a plethora of conventions and school trips.
August – when locals flee the swampy weather – is one ofthe lowest.
As the population grows and gas prices skyrocket, Metro has been seeing its customer numbers swell.
The agency saw close to a 3 percent jump in ridership last year. Ridership numbers grew 6 percent in January and February, and slightly more than 1 percent in March.
TOP METRO DAYS
| Rank | Date | Ridership | Event |
| 1 | June 9, 2004 | 850,636 | Reagan state funeral |
| 2 | April 3, 2007 | 831,508 | Cherry blossoms/baseball |
| 3 | April 24, 2008 | 828,973 | Baseball |
| 4 | April 17, 2008 | 828,418 | Pope visit/soccer |
| 5 | April 11, 2008 | 828,132 | Hockey/baseball/cherry blossoms |
