Metro Officials Report 360,000 Additional Riders on Day of Women's March

Metro officials offered some insight today on crowd estimates for last weekend's Women's March-Los Angeles, reporting that roughly 592,000 passengers — 360,000 more riders than on a typical Saturday — boarded its trains.

"This was an amazing experience for our region, as well as for Metro,'' said Metro board Chair John Fasana. "Whatever your political thoughts, it was exciting to see so many people exercising their right to demonstrate peacefully. And it spoke to the crowds that there was no violence and that despite crowding, at the end of the day our patrons were safe.''

Officials said riders remained upbeat despite crowded platforms and trains.

Metro beefed up service and security to handle what organizers had first estimated would be about 75,000 marchers. As the numbers increased, the agency added rail cars and increased frequency of service, ultimately boosting capacity by 60 percent.

Organizers estimated at one point that as many as 750,000 people attended the downtown march.

The Los Angeles Fire Department pegged the crowd at "over 100,000" on the day of march, but has since updated that count to "approximately 350,000,'' according to LAFD PIO Margaret Stewart.

Public and private buses also carried many marchers to the event. A spokeswoman said Metro bus service seemed to operate at typical capacity on Saturday.