Commuters ditch cars for Metrorail

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By Ben Newell

High gasoline prices are driving commuters to the rails.

Six of the top 10 highest Metrorail ridership days ever have come since April - an indication Washington-area residents are saying "enough" to $4.00 a gallon gas.

"I stopped using my car about three years ago and now I save about $10 a trip," said Mark Fulgrath, 37, of Dranesville, Va.

Some have noticed an increase in crowding as daily ridership approaches levels previously seen only during major events such as the visit of President Ronald Reagan in 2004.

"There's been a significant increase on my route since June, probably due to the gas prices," said Columbia Heights.

Washington-area gasoline prices reached a record $4.08 Wednesday, according to AAA. Continued growth in the metropolitan-area population is another factor in increased ridership.

Metrorail averaged 702,171 weekday riders in the last fiscal year. Now there are more than 800,000 daily.

Gaithersburg is searching for a job and uses Metrorail to get around. "I stopped driving about a month ago altogether, and yeah, the trains are getting crowded."

Despite the heavy traffic on Wednesday, only one car of a fleet of 1,500 was taken out for mechanical breakdown. Metrorail logged 823,516 individual riders, making it the sixth highest weekday in history, on a day with no special events.

April and June are traditionally Metrorail's busiest months, but the recent spike is breaking records because of gas prices, Metro spokesman Steven Taubenkibel said. "We'll be bringing the board of directors a proposal for more trains soon."

Extra trains will help absorb increased demand, as the current morning and evening rush hour fleets reach 830 cars.

"I'd love to see increased investment in mass transportation. Move people, not cars. We need more trains and less asphalt," said Norman Grimm, 52, an information specialist for the federal government.

Metrorail is considering purchasing upgraded cars for their proposed Silver Line to Dulles, though budget constraints may force them to stick with current models.

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