Over 5,500 round-trips to AnaheimStation saves time and money while reducing gridlock

Los Angeles -- This weekend, Southern Californians ditched their cars in droves to head to the U2 concert at Angels Stadium of Anaheim. Instead,they chose to hop on board a Metrolink train. The incentive: safe, reliable public transportation for only $7 for a round-trip.

To be able to accommodate over 11,000 boardings, Metrolink had to double the number of passenger cars and make two stops at each station to allow passengers to exit the train both Friday and Saturday nights.

Each train departed 45 minutes after the concert ended. As the train was pulling out of the station, Metrolink passengers witnessed gridlock they left behind in the parking lots and parking structures as automobiles were attempting to leave Angels Stadium.

"We are pleased to see so many Southern Californians take advantage of our service," said Metrolink Chief Administrative Officer Bob Turnauckas. "In all, we estimate our passengers saved over $35,000 in parking costs for more than 2,000 cars that could have been on the roadway adding to already severe congestion."

Metrolink also observed a 20 percent increase in visits to its website from the time the promotion was announced to local news media and by Live Nation to concert-goers.

"We applaud Live Nation for partnering with Metrolink to offer this service and encouraging its customers to take advantage of public transportation," Turnauckas said.

ABOUT METROLINK
Metrolink is Southern California's regional commuter rail service in its 19th year of operations. The Southern California Regional Rail Authority (SCRRA), a joint powers authority made up of an 11-member board representing the transportation commissions of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura counties, governs the service. Metrolink operates over seven routes through a six-county, 512 route-mile network.