Metro Ridership Continues to Grow, Marking 20 Consecutive Months of Increase

Los Angeles Metro reported a significant rise in ridership for July 2024, with over 25.4 million boardings across its bus and rail services. In a statement Friday, Metro said this marks the 20th consecutive month of year-over-year growth, reaching 81.84 percent of pre-COVID levels from July 2019.

The statement said weekday ridership saw almost 19.9 million boardings, while weekend trips totaled 5.6 million, achieving 78 percent and 95 percent of pre-pandemic levels, respectively. The surge in ridership is attributed to increased leisure travel and popular summer events.

Bus ridership experienced a substantial boost, with 19.7 million rides taken in July, representing a 9.84 percent increase compared to the previous year. Weekday bus boardings reached 15.5 million, while Saturdays saw 2.07 million and Sundays had 2.2 million boardings.

Rail services also saw growth, with 5.8 million boardings in July, a 3.23 percent increase from July 2023. Weekday rail boardings were 4.4 million. The B Line remained the busiest, recording 1.9 million boardings, closely followed by the A Line with 1.9 million trips.

The A and E lines showed significant year-over-year growth, with increases of 19.46 percent and 13.17 percent, respectively. The statement said this marks the first full month of comparison since their reopening after extensive renovations.

Leisure travel played a crucial role in driving ridership growth, particularly on weekdays, Metro said. Major events at venues accessible by Metro, such as Expo Park and Dodger Stadium, contributed to increased passenger numbers.

Notable July events included the Fourth of July fireworks at Gloria Molina Grand Park, multi-day conventions like Anime Expo and RuPaul’s DragCon, and various sporting events featuring the Los Angeles Sparks, Dodgers, Los Angeles Football Club, and Angel City Football Club.

Metro’s reduced-price transit pass programs continue to make public transportation more accessible. The GoPass program, offering free transit to K-12 and community college students, saw a 19 percent year-over-year increase in boardings, the statement said.

On Aug. 15, Metro celebrated surpassing 40 million student boardings and more than 400,000 registered students using GoPass for unlimited travel to school, work and leisure activities.

Similarly, the Low-Income Fare is Easy program reported a 12 percent rise in enrollment compared to July 2023. Metro held over 75 in-person enrollment events to sign up eligible individuals for reduced fares, according to the statement.

In an effort to enhance public safety, the Metro Board of Directors approved a package of security upgrades in July. These include taller fare gates, expanded TAP-to-exit programs, increased elevator security measures, and a pilot program to test weapons detection technologies at two transit hubs.

Metro’s three-point safety plan focuses on increasing visible security presence, ensuring proper system usage, and collaborating with local agencies to address broader societal issues affecting public transit.

As part of this strategy, law enforcement partners have expanded their presence on the rail system, and more Transit Security Officers have been deployed to enforce Metro’s Customer Code of Conduct on both bus and rail services, the statement said. Metro Ambassadors are also present on six rail lines and five of the busiest bus lines.

Metro Transit Security Bus Safety Teams perform end-of-line operations during late-night “Owl” service on some of the busiest bus lines. The agency is working to improve mobility through its Vision 2028 Plan, operating four light rail and two subway lines, along with 119 bus lines utilizing more than 2,000 low-emission buses.

For the latest updates, visit www.metro.net.