LA Metro Ridership Surpasses One Million Weekday Passengers, Marking Post-Pandemic Milestone

Los Angeles County’s public transportation system reached a significant post-pandemic milestone in September, averaging over one million weekday riders for the first time since early 2020. Metro, the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority, announced this achievement on Friday alongside its 22nd consecutive month of year-over-year ridership growth.

Metro’s combined bus and rail ridership in September climbed to 86.4 percent of its pre-pandemic levels from the same month in 2019. This recovery outpaces the national average, which stands at 76 percent of pre-pandemic ridership. Average weekday boardings reached 83.6 percent of September 2019 levels, with weekend ridership at 96.6 percent.

“A million boardings a day is a major milestone,” said Metro Board Chair and Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn. “We owe them (riders) a safe, dependable, enjoyable system, whether they’re on a bus, a train platform or riding a train.”

The bus system, a crucial component of LA’s public transit network, saw particularly strong growth. September’s average weekday bus ridership exceeded 800,000 boardings, setting a post-pandemic record for the system. On Saturdays, the average was 534,373 trips, while Sundays saw 448,223 trips.

Metro Chief Executive Officer Stephanie Wiggins attributed the recovery to the agency’s staff.

“Thanks to the more than 12,000 dedicated public servants who work hard, day and night, rain or shine, Metro is recovering faster than almost any large transit agency in America,” she said.

Bus ridership showed a 6.9 percent increase compared to September 2023, with total trips reaching 20,912,410. Metro’s Bus Rapid Transit lines also experienced growth, with the J Line seeing an 8.3 percent increase. Weekend ridership on the J Line exceeded its September 2019 pre-pandemic level by 6.4 percent. The G Line saw a 3.4 percent increase.

Metro said rail ridership grew by nearly 10 percent compared to the previous year, now standing at 85.1 percent of its pre-pandemic level. Weekday rail boardings grew by 11.7 percent year-over-year, while weekend rail ridership grew 4.81 percent. Light rail lines drove much of this growth, with the A Line and E Line experiencing increases of 16.2 percent and 18 percent respectively, the statement said. The C Line grew by 10.7 percent, while the K Line saw a 4.1 percent increase.

Weekend ridership has shown particularly strong recovery, according to Metro’s report. Rail ridership on weekends reached 99.4 percent of pre-pandemic levels, while bus boardings hit 96.3 percent of 2019 figures for the same period.

Student ridership through Metro’s GoPass Program, which provides free transit passes to K-14 students at participating schools, saw a 3 percent year-over-year increase. The program recorded 1,666,405 boardings in September, a 77.7 percent jump from August as students returned to school.

Metro also offers reduced fare programs for low-income persons, seniors, persons with disabilities, and students.

Metro said it continues to prioritize public safety as ridership grows. The agency has implemented a three-point plan focusing on increasing visible security presence, ensuring proper system use, and addressing broader societal issues affecting transit.

Metro has also expanded its law enforcement presence on the rail system and added more Transit Security Officers to enforce conduct rules. The agency has also deployed Metro Ambassadors on its busiest rail and bus lines to support customers and monitor potential issues.

Additionally, Metro Transit Security Bus Safety Teams perform end-of-line operations during late-night “Owl” service on some of the busiest bus lines.