More People Rode CTA Trains On Cubs' Rally Day Than Ever Before
By Stephen Gossett in News on Nov 11, 2016 9:07PM
Courtesy of CTA
The Chicago Transit Authority on Friday announced what was probably already suspected among anyone who traveled to the Cubs' ginormous, awe-inspiring, slightly terrifying victory parade and rally last week: transit riders broke the record for single-day ridership on CTA trains.
The new rail record came in at 1,146,349. The previous record was set just a week prior, for Game Three of the World Series (918,723). Perhaps unsurprisingly, the next-highest train ridership dates were also sports-related: the 2015 Blackhawks parade, (914,768), the 2013 Blackhawks parade (894,811) and the 2015 Cubs NLCS Game 4 (882,188).
“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 Carter Jr. said in a press release. “We’re pleased to be able to work together with all the city agencies to help Chicago celebrate such an historic occasion.”
Surprisingly, the rally day didn't take the record for highest total ridership, across both buses and trains. The Cubs celebration day saw 1,945,250 transit riders in total; but the record remains a Fourth of July celebration, on July 3, 2008 (2,049,519). It did, however, surpass the date of Barack Obama’s acceptance speech (1,938,738). White Sox fans just can't win these days.
Metra also broke its one-day record, with 460,000 riders, which bested the 2007 Taste of Chicago and the 2013 Blackhawks rally.
“I’m proud of the way our train crews and staff at the stations directed the crowds and delivered fans and daily commuters to their destinations safely,” Metra Executive Director Don Orseno said in a statement. “I am also grateful to all of our customers for their patience during this extraordinary event.”
"Patience," indeed. Metra riders endured grueling waits and huge lines on what the service rightly anticipated would be its busiest day ever.
The city estimated some five million people attended the parade and rally. Large-crowd counts are notoriously tricky, but even with salt grain taken, it was clearly on another level.