(CHICAGO) More than 1.1 million Cubs fans took CTA trains took get to the World Series parade and rally last week, setting a single-day record for L passengers.
The new high rail mark of 1,146,349 riders beat the one set during Game 3 of the World Series, when 918,723 fans rode CTA trains to Wrigley Field, the transit agency said Friday.
A total of of 1,945,250 people took buses and trains on Nov. 5, making it the second-highest ridership in history, officials said. It trails only to the 2 million people who rode the CTA to the downtown Fourth of July celebration in 2008, and just eked out the 1,938,738 riders for Barack Obama’s presidential acceptance speech the same year.
The average weekday sees about 1.6 million rides, with more than a third of those coming on the train. Seven of the 10 highest rail ridership days have come during the Cubs’ playoff runs over the last two years.
“The last few weeks have been historic, as all of Chicago has come together to celebrate a sports championship that’s touched every corner of the city,” CTA President Dorval R. Carter Jr. said in a statement. “We’re pleased to be able to work together with all the city agencies to help Chicago celebrate such an historic occasion.”
