Seattle transit record: 280K World Cup fans flood light rail
SEATTLE - Sound Transit broke its all-time single-day ridership record on Friday for the USA vs Australia World Cup match.
What we know:
An estimated 280,000 riders boarded the Link light rail for the match, breaking the previous record set during the Seattle Seahawks Super Bowl parade, which was 220,000 passengers.
Fans heading to the USA vs Australia match exiting a light rail train. (Sound Transit)
Not only was there an influx of people for the U.S.-Australia match, but there was also a sold-out Seattle Mariners game afterwards at T-Mobile Park.
What they're saying:
"Friday was a momentous day for Sound Transit, with the highest ridership in our agency history," said Sound Transit CEO Dow Constantine. "We operated at peak service well into the evening on a day our region proudly hosted both a World Cup match and a highly attended Mariners game. As our region welcomed fans from around the world, we helped ensure they got to and from games safely. I’m grateful to all our employees and partners who made this record-setting day possible."
Dig deeper:
To accommodate for peak capacity, Sound Transit ran both 1 Line and 2 Line trains every four to eight minutes from 6 a.m. to 1 a.m.
Several stations saw intense demand after the match, as long lines formed outside entrance points, including the International District/Chinatown Station. However, the line significantly shrunk down in the following hours.
Line outside the International District/Chinatown Station after USA vs Australia World Cup match.
Not only did the light rail break its ridership record, but shared e-bike and scooter service Lime also set an all-time daily rider record, exceeding 83,000 trips on June 19.
What you can do:
Sound Transit officials are asking passengers to wait out the initial crowd surge by staying downtown after World Cup matches, exploring activities or dining at local businesses near the stadium.
Commuters are also urged to spread out evenly across platforms to prevent bottlenecks, as the first and last train cars are usually less crowded.
World Cup fans flood the International District/Chinatown light rail station. (Sound Transit)
What's next:
With multiple match days already exceeding 200,000 boardings, Sound Transit is preparing for an even larger test, possibly a Team USA knockout round match in Seattle on July 6.
MORE WORLD CUP NEWS FROM FOX 13 SEATTLE
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'Summer of Soccer' brings upgrades to Sound Transit
US eases on Iran’s World Cup team, allowing travel 2 days before next match
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The Source: Information in this story came from Sound Transit and previous FOX 13 Seattle reporting.