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Sixth Consecutive Month of Year-Over-Year Rail Ridership Growth
People are choosing Metro rail more than they have in over six years. Rail ridership increased 9.5% compared to the same period last year, driven by a remarkable 62% jump on the D line following the opening of three new stations on May 8. Weekend rail ridership was especially strong, soaring 18% as riders embraced expanded access to jobs, entertainment, dining and cultural destinations. Total system ridership for May, including bus and rail, was 26,966,657.
“The opening of the new D Line stations is already making a meaningful difference, connecting more Angelenos to jobs, educational opportunities, entertainment, and cultural destinations across our region,” said Fernando Dutra, Metro Board Chair.
“These ridership numbers show that when we invest in fast, reliable and convenient transit, people respond. Seeing rail ridership reach its highest levels in more than six years—and continue to grow for a sixth consecutive month—is a strong sign that Metro’s investments are delivering real value to the communities we serve.”
Rail Sees Strong Ridership
During May, rail ridership totaled 6,472,058. The new D Line stations added 8,000 – 10,000 new riders per day but they were not the only success stories of the month. Overall, weekday rail ridership rose 8%, while weekend ridership rose 18%. The opening of the three new D line stations helped drive ridership even though they were not open the entire month. The grand opening weekend celebrations drew thousands throughout the weekend to celebrate local businesses and cultural events. In addition, The L.A. County Fair, Jazz at LACMA and the Demi Lovato concert at the KIA Forum contributed to increased numbers.
Here are some of the year-over-year highlights:
- A line ridership increased 11.3%, continuing its strong performance and also experiencing strong growth on weekends, including 21.3% on Saturdays and 18.5% on Sundays
- B line had a 7% increase with the biggest gains on Saturdays and Sundays
- D line increased 62% with especially high growth on the weekends at nearly 80%
- E line continued its growth streak, increasing 4%
- K line experienced a significant 48% increase with weekends seeing the highest increases at 62.7% and 60.5% for Saturdays and Sundays, respectively
“Tens of thousands more people each day are choosing Metro rail because – frankly – it provides a better alternative than sitting in traffic, especially when you look at the D Line, which cuts commute times in half,” said Metro CEO Stephanie Wiggins. “We expect the rail numbers to increase as more people discover the convenience as well as the cost and time savings of using the system.”
Bus Ridership Down Slightly
Bus ridership decreased 4.9% year-over-year, resulting in an overall ridership decrease of 1.8%. The 720 had a 6.5% decrease in year-over-year ridership, largely driven by the expansion of the D line which largely follows the same route along Wilshire Boulevard. Bus ridership still makes up most of Metro’s numbers, with ridership at 20,494,599 for the month.
About Metro
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) is building the most ambitious transportation infrastructure program in the United States and is working to greatly improve mobility. Metro is the lead transportation planning and funding agency for L.A. County and carries nearly 1 million boardings daily on a fleet of 2,200 low-emission buses and six rail lines. The latest October 2025 customer experience survey showed that customer satisfaction has risen to 87 percent.
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