Metro ridership on Friday edges out Inauguration Day

D.C. Metro ridership on Friday, the day of the annual March for Life, exceeded that of Inauguration Day exactly one week prior, the transit agency tweeted.

The subway system recorded 237,000 trips taken as of 11 a.m., compared to the 193,000 trips registered in the same period on Jan. 20.

Metro Ridership: As of 11am, 193k trips taken so far today. (11am 1/20/13 = 317k, 11am 1/20/09 = 513k, 11am 1/20/05 = 197k) #wmata

— Metro (@wmata) January 20, 2017

The increase in ridership came on the same day that thousands of demonstrators gathered in Washington for the annual March for Life.

{mosads}Unlike Inauguration Day, however, Friday was a standard work day in Washington with typical commuter traffic. During presidential swearing-in ceremonies, much of the capital city shuts down and many daily workers stay home, avoiding the Metro altogether.

Friday’s ridership fell short of the 275,000 riders that used the Metro last Saturday ahead of the Women’s March on Washington. The massive demonstration helped generate eight times the usual ridership for a Saturday, the transit authority said.

Metro Ridership as of 11am: 275k. For comparison, that’s more than 8x a normal Sat & even busier than most weekdays. #wmata #womensmarch

— Metro (@wmata) January 21, 2017