A surge of fans, tourists and residents drove another record for Seattle’s light-rail system: on Friday, 280,000 rides were recorded. The spike was triggered by the overlap of a U.S.-Australia World Cup soccer match that was completely sold out, a heavily oversubscribed Seattle Mariners home game, and summer rush in downtown. Remarkably, the previous day—Thursday—was also a record: 236,000 passengers, even though only one baseball game was taking place in the city.
Both figures surpassed the previous high of 219,000 rides recorded on March 28, the day the line opened across Lake Washington, as well as 215,000 rides during the Seahawks victory parade in February. By way of comparison, at the first World Cup match in Seattle (Egypt vs. Belgium) on June 15, the tram carried 210,000 people. If the U.S. team makes it to the round of 16, scheduled for July 6, the numbers could be even higher, said Henry Bendon, a representative of Sound Transit. Sound Transit is the regional transit agency that coordinates the construction and operation of high-speed rail transit (Link Light Rail), commuter trains (Sounder) and express bus routes. It is this organization that runs the entire light-rail network in Seattle, linking the city with its suburbs and the airport.
To handle the flow of more than a quarter of a million passengers, staff took unusual measures. International District/Chinatown station—a key transfer hub between the light-rail lines, bus routes and taxis—helps passengers reach downtown Seattle, the University of Washington campus and Sea-Tac International Airport with ease. The neighborhood itself is the oldest Asian American district in the U.S., home to historic shops, restaurants and cultural centers, which makes it popular with both tourists and local residents. After the soccer match, people were redirected from the overcrowded International District/Chinatown station to Pioneer Square to board northbound trains. Temporary green signs directed movement along the platforms in one direction to prevent crowding. Fortunately, the busy days passed without major breakdowns: only one technical glitch on the 2 Line on Thursday evening forced trains to turn back at Northgate station.
As for Thursday, operators noticed that people were making short trips throughout the day, especially around the Westlake and Pioneer Square stations. Riders traveled to soccer fan zones, the famous Pike Place Market and other sightseeing spots. A large number of rides also went to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, although exact figures are not yet available. Overall, Thursday went smoothly: there were almost no lines outside the stations—apart from a small crowd after the baseball game near Chinatown.
Based on: Seattle light rail ridership just beat its last World Cup-driven record - The Seattle Times