LA Metro Ridership Climbs to 84% of Pre-Pandemic Levels
LA Metro records 27 million trips in August, reaching 84% of pre-pandemic ridership
LA Metro Ridership Hits 27M in August 2024
LA Metro riders made 27 million trips in August, continuing a nearly two-year streak of growth that's bringing the system closer to pre-pandemic levels. The transit agency recorded 27,066,446 boardings during the month, marking the 21st straight month of year-over-year increases, officials said September 30. August ridership reached 84 percent of what the system saw in August 2019, before COVID-19 disrupted travel patterns across Southern California.
Sustained Growth Reflects Transit Recovery
The consecutive months of ridership gains show public transit is regaining its role in regional mobility, according to the transit agency. Metro's sustained recovery reflects broader patterns seen across major U.S. transit systems as commuters and occasional riders return to trains and buses. The agency didn't provide specific comparisons to other California systems or detail which factors are driving the increases. Transit agencies nationwide have worked to rebuild ridership through service improvements and public confidence campaigns since pandemic-era declines bottomed out in 2020 and 2021.
Weekend Rail Surpasses 2019 Levels
Metro's weekend rail service has now exceeded pre-pandemic ridership entirely, officials said, marking a significant milestone in the system's recovery. The weekend performance suggests riders are using trains for leisure trips, social outings, and weekend errands beyond traditional weekday commutes. Officials didn't specify exact weekend ridership numbers or which rail lines are seeing the strongest Saturday and Sunday traffic. The weekend achievement indicates Metro rail has become more integrated into how Angelenos move around the region for non-work travel.
Recovery Timeline and Future Outlook
Metro's ridership has climbed steadily since hitting pandemic lows, with the 21-month growth streak beginning in late 2022. Officials didn't provide projections for when overall ridership might return to 100 percent of 2019 levels or detail specific strategies to close the remaining 16 percent gap. The agency typically releases monthly ridership data several weeks after each month ends, though officials haven't said whether they expect the growth trend to continue through fall 2024.
What Riders Need to Know
The ridership recovery affects service planning and resource allocation across Metro's bus and rail network, though officials didn't specify whether the increases will lead to service expansions or schedule changes. Riders can track current schedules and service updates through real-time information systems. Moovit provides up-to-date Metro schedules and trip planning for LA's rail and bus network.
