D.C. Metro Sets Record — On Monday

Washington, D.C.’s metro system has already surpassed its all-time record for single day ridership on Monday, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) announced Tuesday afternoon.

866,681 passengers rode the D.C. subway during Monday’s Martin Luther King Day holiday, WMATA said.

The tally surpasses the previous record by roughly 12,000 passengers. That record was set July 11, 2008, during which a Washington Nationals baseball game and a Women of Faith Conference took place concurrently.

There has been no official announcement of Inauguration Day’s ridership, but reports had pegged ridership above 200,000 by 7:00 a.m. The metro opened at an unusually early 4:00 a.m. to accommodate high ridership.

The inauguration crowds have caused problems for WMATA. A passenger was hit by an oncoming train at the city’s downtown Chinatown station, forcing the close of that station and another major downtown hub. WMATA announced the closure of downtown’s Federal Triangle metro stop, as well.