Rising Gas Costs and Increased Ridership of the District's Metro System

The Metro in Washington, DC is my only method of transportation since I don’t have a car and as I mentioned in this post, I won’t be getting one until I can pay for it with cash. I don’t want any more debt! So I haven’t had to worry about the stress of rising gas prices, car maintenance, and parking which is scarce in DC because so many people commute from VA and MD. I have noticed in recent months that I have not been able to get a seat on the train in the mornings on my way to work. It’s not really a big deal because my ride is pretty short, but according to a recent Washington Post article, All-Time High Set for Metro Ridership:

Metro has set a new all-time record high for ridership, surpassing the previous record from 2004 on the day of President Reagan's state funeral. Metro says it counted 854,638 riders on Friday, beating the old record by 4,000 passenger trips. Officials attribute the spike to a Washington Nationals baseball game, a Women of Faith Conference at the Verizon Center and tourists visiting the city. So far, 20 of Metrorail's top 25 highest ridership days in its 32-year history have been recorded this year. Many of the busiest days are generated by baseball games or big events like the Cherry Blossom Festival or the Smithsonian Folklife Festival. But ridership has been steadily increasing as high gas prices push more people to take Metro trains instead of driving.

Looks like I’m not the only one forgoing driving to save money.