The Strasburg effect appears to be extending beyond Nationals Stadium.
Metro says it logged its sixth highest ridership day in its 34-year history on Tuesday, partly due to the high turnout for the debut of Washington Nationals pitching phenom Stephen Strasburg. The transit agency ran 856,578 trips through its faregates on the Metrorail system.
Singers James Taylor and Carole King deserve some of the credit, as they performed at the Verizon Center Tuesday night. The daily commuters pulled their usual weight. And the many tourists who have flocked to the region for the summer also contributed, likely enjoying the clear, lovely day that made shlepping to the guidebook sites a pleasure.
Here’s what Metro’s record books show:
Metrorail’s Top 6 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
6 06-08-10 856,578 Baseball/Concert
