Metro attributes the growth to new destinations, added security, and a streamlined train system.
According to an article by Steve Scauzillo in the Los Angeles Daily News, “Ridership on LA Metro trains and buses reached 285 million boardings in 2023, almost a 12% increase from the year before, the transit agency reported on Monday, Feb. 12.”
Bus ridership reached 80 percent of pre-pandemic ridership. “Train ridership grew from about 48 million in 2021 to almost 62 million in 2023 — an increase of 14 million riders and coming in at 67% of pre-pandemic levels. Train riders have been slow to come back, in part because many workers who once rode the trains to work are often working from home, at least part of the work week, according to studies.”
The agency says the jump in ridership can be attributed to more leisure riders and an increase in personnel at stations and on vehicles. Metro also opened the Regional Connector in June, which made cross-town travel worlds more convenient than before, reconfiguring the A, E, and L lines. “Those seven months of operations of the A, E and L lines produced a combined 33.4% ridership increase in December 2023 over December 2022 on those three lines, the agency reported.”
FULL STORY: LA Metro’s ridership in 2023 rises by almost 12 percent from the previous year
LA to Launch Bus Lane Enforcement Cameras
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Newly Opened Regional Connector Redefines Light Rail Transit in Los Angeles
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Study: Maui’s Plan to Convert Vacation Rentals to Long-Term Housing Could Cause Nearly $1 Billion Economic Loss
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Why Should We Subsidize Public Transportation?
Many public transit agencies face financial stress due to rising costs, declining fare revenue, and declining subsidies. Transit advocates must provide a strong business case for increasing public transit funding.
How to Make US Trains Faster
Changes to boarding platforms and a switch to electric trains could improve U.S. passenger rail service without the added cost of high-speed rail.
Columbia’s Revitalized ‘Loop’ Is a Hub for Local Entrepreneurs
A focus on small businesses is helping a commercial corridor in Columbia, Missouri thrive.
Invasive Insect Threatens Minnesota’s Ash Forests
The Emerald Ash Borer is a rapidly spreading invasive pest threatening Minnesota’s ash trees, and homeowners are encouraged to plant diverse replacement species, avoid moving ash firewood, and monitor for signs of infestation.
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