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Pride Parade and Giants combine for Sunday BART ridership record

Almost a quarter million people took BART yesterday, setting a record for Sunday ridership at 247,936. That’s 23,477 more than the previous record for a Sunday set June 28, 2008, which not coincidentally, was also a day that combined the Pride Parade and a San Francisco Giants game.
   
“BART was proud to break our Sunday ridership record by carrying so many riders to the Pride Parade and the Giants game yesterday,”  BART Board President Bob Franklin said. “When big events gridlock Bay Area freeways, people are confident to rely on BART, which means replacing our oldest-in-the-nation train cars is critically important.”

BART prepared for the record ridership with extra trains and extra train cars. After all, BART has lots of experience in serving the tens of thousands of people who celebrate Pride weekend. Of BART’s top five highest ridership Sundays, four have occurred on Pride Parade Sundays (please see the table below).

BART’s involvement in Pride weekend goes beyond the all-important task of providing safe and reliable transportation. The BARTmobile, staffed with BART volunteers, made a splash in the parade itself, sporting some festive decorations just to add to the fun.

BART'S Top Five Ridership Sundays

 Date  Riders  Events
 June 26, 2011  247,936   Pride, Giants vs. Cleveland
 June 29, 2008  224,459   Pride, A's vs. Giants
 June 27, 2010  220,473   Pride, Giants vs. Boston, A's vs. Pittsburgh
 June 28, 2009   213,398   Pride, A's vs. Colorado
 Sept. 2, 2007   208,689   Bay Bridge Closure, A's vs. Detroit, Summer of Love Concert