The line graph shows the number of people using the Toronto Metro system on weekdays in July 2007, at different times between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. The figures are measured in thousands.
It is clear that the number of passengers follows a daily cycle with two major peaks, one in the early morning and the other in the late afternoon. In contrast, usage is relatively low in the early morning, mid-afternoon and evening hours.
At 6 a.m., passenger numbers start at around 100,000 before rising dramatically to a peak of 400,000 at 8 a.m., which is the busiest time of the day. This is followed by a steep decline, with the figure dropping to about 200,000 by 10 a.m. Between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., metro usage stabilises at a moderate level, ranging from 250,000 to just over 300,000.
In the afternoon, the figure falls sharply again to reach the day’s lowest point of 100,000 at 4 p.m. However, another surge occurs immediately afterwards, when the number of passengers increases quickly and reaches almost 400,000 at 6 p.m., which represents the second rush hour. After this, ridership decreases steadily, standing at roughly 150,000 by 8 p.m. and ending the day at just under 200,000 at 10 p.m.