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Public Transit Plays Large Role in Inauguration Weekend

APTA, public transportation agencies and infrastructure investment all played a role in inauguration events Jan. 19-20 and during the Women’s March on Washington, Jan. 21.

President Donald Trump highlighted infrastructure in his inaugural address, noting, among other things, the need to invest in building and repairing transportation systems and to create jobs.

In his remarks (as they were prepared for delivery), Trump said that “for many decades,” the U.S. has “spent trillions of dollars overseas while America’s infrastructure has fallen into disrepair and decay.”

He promised to instead “put America first” and “build new roads, and highways, and bridges, and airports, and tunnels and railways all across our wonderful nation.” In addition, he pledged to “follow two simple rules: Buy American and hire American.”

WMATA, Many Other Agencies Provide Service

The Washington ­Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) and area public transit agencies provided approximately two million rides on its rail, bus and paratransit systems for both major events in the Washington, DC, area—Inauguration Day and the Women’s March—while public transportation agencies throughout the country provided millions more rides for marchers.

WMATA’s Metrorail service alone provided 1.6 million trips for both events, with 1 million for the march on Jan. 21, the second busiest day in the system’s history.

WMATA General Manager/Chief Executive Officer Paul Wiedefeld, in a letter to all employees, thanked them for making the weekend “a terrific success for Metro and the national capital region. …We can all feel proud of providing safe, reliable service for large numbers of riders over two consecutive days on a world stage.” He also acknowledged the months of planning and coordination that went into providing service for inaugural events.

In Los Angeles, Metro Rail carried 592,000 passengers—360,000 more riders than on a typical Saturday, with downtown stations and railcars filled to capacity.

Los Angeles Metro began preparing for a crowd initially estimated at 75,000. As projections grew, the agency added railcars, service, security and staff.

“I applaud our operations team for their outstanding efforts to provide this critical service to Los Angeles,” said Metro CEO Phillip A. Washington.

In Seattle, King County Metro Transit and Sound Transit jointly reported more than 330,000 boardings on buses and light rail—an estimated 50 percent increase compared with an average Saturday—and noted a record for Saturday ridership on Link light rail.

Metra commuter rail provided its regular Saturday schedule of trips but added capacity on all trains, following an existing plan. Preliminary reports show 90,231 rides on Jan. 21, compared with 54,310 rides the previous Saturday.

In Portland, OR, TriMet added trains on MAX light rail, noting that all MAX lines and many bus lines serve the area near the march and rally. "We likely saw the biggest crowds we have experienced in a short period of time," said spokesperson Mary Fetsch. "TriMet saw a 46 percent increase in ridership on Saturday and provided 82,500 more [combined bus and light rail] rides than a typical Saturday, for a total of 261,400 rides.

Boston’s MBTA also added service.

APTA at Inaugural Activities

APTA was a cosponsor of the Indiana Society Inaugural Ball on Jan. 19, and APTA leaders attended a reception before the ball that included a private conversation with Vice President Mike Pence, former governor of Indiana.

Attending the meeting with Pence were APTA Chair Doran J. Barnes; Paul Jablonski, CEO, San Diego Metropolitan Transit System; David Cangany, general manager/CEO, South Bend Public Transportation Corporation; APTA Acting President & CEO Richard White and APTA Vice President-Policy Art Guzzetti, who discussed the importance of public transportation and infrastructure.

Attending the ball were Mike Noland, president/general manager, Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District; Christine Altman, board president, and Anne Poindexter, counsel, Central Indiana Regional Transportation Authority.

Barnes and Guzzetti also attended Trump’s swearing-in ceremony.

APTA representatives who joined Vice President Mike Pence, second from left, and his wife Karen at the Indiana Society Inaugural Ball, from left: David Cangany, South Bend Public Transportation Corporation; APTA Chair Doran J. Barnes; APTA Acting President & CEO Richard White; and Paul Jablonski, San Diego Metropolitan Transit System.

Photo by Reflections Event Photography and Video Production

From left: APTA Vice President-Policy Art Guzzetti, Doran J. Barnes, Indiana Inaugural Ball Chair Jan Powell, Richard White and David Cangany.

 
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