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It's becoming so commonplace for us to receive press releases about how Metro has recorded yet another record ridership day, we're in danger of starting to think these figures aren't that significant -- but that would be a big mistake. Dr. Gridlock noted on Monday that since April alone, nine dates had made their way into Metro's top dozen for ridership, which included last Friday. Now, make that ten.
Hundreds of thousands of people helped Metro set the transit agency’s third highest ridership day in the history of the 32-year-old rail system on Tuesday, June 24. Riders took 831,464 trips, which were 48,534 more trips than the same comparable day last year.There were home games for the Nationals and the Mystics on Tuesday that contributed to the number, but there were also three top ridership days in the last week that had no special events. It's pretty obvious skyrocketing gas prices are changing people's commuting habits in the D.C. metro area.
Have you changed the way you get to work in the last few months? Tell us about it in the comments.
Photo by philliefan99
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Actually, the growing numbers on the metro (more than the usual tourist jump) has pushed me to walk to and from work everyday. It's about a 25-30 minute walk, which funny enough, is about my commute if I transfer and get off at Union Station.
i went against the grain and had to drive to work all week because of an injury, and i felt like there was less traffic than normal on at least three of the five days. this was after claiming to everyone i know that i want to have a car-free summer. (stupid injury.)
two years ago, i was driving to work every day from Alexandria to NE . . . if i had that same job now, i wouldn't have been able to afford to get to work. what a scary thought.
I've given up driving to work completely. Instead, I stand the side of the road naked except for a hockey mask, an axe, and a cardboard sign that says "ANYWHERE." People really are pretty desperate to get an extra passenger so they can use that HOV lane.
'Metro Breaking (DELETE) Right and Left' is more appropriate.
Ever since I moved to the city I been riding my bike everywhere....I can get from downtown to Bethesda in 22 min during rush hour. I can get anywhere in the city in less than 10. Who needs a car with that kinda of commute time.
I've changed my habits big time. In the past, I'd take a barrel of oil from my stockpile, dump it down 16th Street and slide to work on my Snow Tube. At 95/100 bucks per barrel this was a no-brainer. But I'm now using Canola. The increased viscocity has added a good 15 - 20 seconds to my commute.
I walk about a half mile to my Metro stop, and I cut through two small parks to get there. I am used to this part of my commute as my quality time: I can sing along with my ipod, talk to myself, wave to the squirrels, etc., because no one was ever on the trail with me. Now a ton of my neighbors are biking, walking, skipping to Metro vs. taking their cars to the parking garage, and they are seriously interrupting my private time to be weird. I guess I will have to get 20 cats and start yelling at people to get out of my yard.
'Metro Breaking (DELETE) Right and Left' is more appropriate.
I'd go with "Metro Sticks It In and Breaks it Off."
Don't forget to add that Metro doesn't call the next day but will call you after the bars close on Saturday wanting to "talk".
oops, forgot to add after to, "see you so they can talk".
Gosh, i hope that pushed me up in the commenter rankings.
I've actually been driving to work more often lately. The multiple catastrophes on the Orange and Red Lines a couple weeks ago were sort of a turn-off for me. I realize the environment isn't happy with me, but driving is still faster and cheaper than Metro.
I drlve against traffic about 10 miles westbound on 50 to Falls Church (Fairfax Co.) every morning. Gas is still cheaper than Metro, for the moment.
Since the metrorail meltdown, I switched over to the bus. I've had no problems with extremely off-schedule buses, and I save 80 cents a day off metro fare.
So glad I'm getting a new apt. 7 block from my new job, and they're giving me $60/month in metrochecks...what what!!
By just mentioning the Mystics you are vastly overstating their contribution to record ridership. Add up the team, staff, and fan(s): barely enough to fill one subway car.
The Mystics only had 6,662 fans at their game on Tuesday and the Nats had 28,531. - so approximately 35,000 fans total.
Unless Tyson's actually gets a Metro stop OR my building puts in an elevator so I don't have to schlep my bike up and down three floors, I will continue to drive to work in my SUV.
Destroying the environment, one gallon at a time.
Hey, *someone's* got to keep the oil companies in business...might as well be me!
I still drive to work (it's about a 12-minute drive through Rock Creek), but have been using mass transit to go out at night and catching rides on the back of my girlfriend's scooter too.
Seeing as I have no drivers license (I know, I know, shut up) and no car, I can't say that gas prices have caused me to change my commute in the least. Moving from Alexandria to Columbia Heights and switching jobs sure has. I went from a 10 minute commute on the green line to having to take the S1 bus and walking 6 blocks. It sucks, especially since the S1 is so infrequent in the afternoons. Also, I used to scoff at the idea of bus bunching. How very, very silly I was.
Since all those drivers started turning to metro I've commenced a daily bike commute. This means my commute is much more predictable (30 min almost exactly from Hill East to Rosslyn), less stressful (no more waiting 6 deep on the platform watching the second train go by that I was unable to board), and it allows me to eat twice the dessert!
But seriously, Americans are way too dependent on their cars, and the federal and local governments have not done enough to encourage people out of their individual vehicles. Too many subsidies for parking and too little investment in public transportation infrastructure. Maybe this will start to change. I'm lucky to have the option of bike commuting - I wish that was an option for the masses as well.
Funny, it's seems a lot of us, myself included, are actually abandoning Metro as ridership increases! Maybe DCist has a skewed commenter pool of people who live and work right downtown... I live near the Convention Center and have been walking to and from work in Foggy Bottom almost everyday since the last heat wave broke. It is excellent exercise (about 40 minutes each way) and I don't have to squeeze onto the trains with all the crowds. And walking is FREE!
Um, helllloooo more trains pleeze. Could we just take those streecars we paid for while forgetting to put in the tracks, and use them in the tunnels? Duct tape them to the back of the trains?
I sold my car and moved right next to a metro stop, so yeah, I guess it did affect me. But I hate driving anyways, it makes me crazy. Gas prices were just the cherry on top of the shit sundae that is driving around here.
BTW, I was on yet another Metro train that broke down this morning & had to be offloaded. That's 4 this month that I've personally experienced, and I don't even take Metro everyday.
@22 - DC Circulator would seem tailor made for that CC-to-Foggy commute. Even moreso than Metro. Is it just too crowded for your tastes?
If i walked for 40 minutes in 95 degree heat there is going to be atleast some sweat. I guess I just don't like to arrive to work feeling less than 100% clean.
Trains have definitely been more crowded lately. Lots more tourists and, of course, summer interns. But lots more commuting types. Which means lots more door issues and all-around confusion as to how to stand to the right on the escalator.
Ha! I bet those midweek Mystic games are a huge Metro ridership driver. People were probably two to a seat at the Verizon Center.
The Green Line has seen a huge increase in ridership, not only from all the people switching from driving, but from all the development happening from Shaw to Fort Totten. The DCUSA/Target complex alone must be responsible for a surge in ridership. With 7 minute headways during rush hour, it's not a sustainable situation. We need more trains! And tourists, please stay the hell off the system during the evening rush hour. It's really annoying to see a 5 member tourist family heading back to Greenbelt at 5:45 PM, spread out all over the car, with a stroller to boot.
So...is WMATA making or planning any changes? More cars on rush-hour trains, for example? I'm not a WMATA-hater, I'm not calling them out (that bandwagon is too crowded anyway). It'd just be interesting to know how they are responding to the increase.
techne, Metro completed a Core Capacity Study in 2001. The projections now look a little low -- they were forecasting 850,000 riders on an average day in 2014.
All those 8-car trains they've been adding are part of the recommendations to increase capacity -- the problem is, it takes some time for new rail cars to be delivered (and Metro only has so much money per year to spend on capital improvements) so they can't just appear all at once.
I did find an interesting line in the report that mentioned the need for new rail lines by 2020. That's not talked about nearly often enough.
techne -- until Metro gets dedicated funding, not much is going to happen. Because Sen. Coburn sucks.
Didn't Metro just get its $1.5B infusion?
@26 - The Circulator is very convenient. I do take it sometimes when Metro has a problem, but I opt to walk since A: at 7:30 am, the weather has been beautiful, not too hot, B: I find that the Circulator during rush hour can take forever, and C: I manage a very small company, so I usually wear polos and shorts to work. Sweat usually isn't a problem. If I were in a shirt and tie, I would definitely not be walking.
I'll keep driving thanks, I work in upper Geotown, and you just can't get there from anywhere. I tried metro, but a two hour commute home (with all the damn bus transfers)just plain sux.