Ridership throughout the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) increased by more than 10% over the past year, the agency announced Thursday.
During the last fiscal year, the transit agency logged 75,663,343 passenger trips, a 10.4% increase over Fiscal Year 2023's 68,511,363.
"The recent ridership increase has put MTS on a path to welcome even more passengers in the coming years," Stephen Whitburn, MTS board chair and San Diego city councilman, said in a statement. "This success is a testament to the partnership between riders and the dedicated MTS staff and Board of Directors to improve transit for our region. MTS is committed to delivering comprehensive transit experience to meet the needs of all our riders."
Sharon Cooney, MTS' CEO, said the increase in transit ridership could be attributed to a variety of factors, including affordability amid rising costs of living.
Additionally, youth riders increased by 22.7% over the year from its 113,000 youth riders who use a Youth Opportunity Pass. A total of 13 bus routes saw increases of 20% or higher, with eight routes surpassing a million trips.
According to the transit agency, the highest ridership month in Fiscal Year 2024 was October 2023, with 6,929,191 passenger trips. MTS leaders also said that in May 2024, the agency experienced a week with an average of 271,000 passengers per day, the highest week on record since the onset of the pandemic.
During the heart of the COVID-19 pandemic, MTS experienced a decline in ridership as hundreds of thousands of San Diegans stayed home. That loss in ridership — and because 25% of MTS' system operation is supported by fare revenue — the agency faces a multimillion-dollar structural budget deficit.
However, the increased numbers in Fiscal Year 2024 mean the agency is regularly reaching 85% to 90% of pre-pandemic ridership levels, officials said.
Efforts to bring back riders include an increase in security presence system-wide and a new Bus Rapid Network route connecting Imperial Beach and Otay Mesa.
According to MTS, it also plans to continue implementing improvements in the coming years to make transit more reliable and accessible, including an overnight express bus service between the border and downtown San Diego, increased bus and trolley frequencies, infrastructure rehabilitation on the Orange Line Trolley, and charging infrastructure for the zero-emissions transition.
The improvements will be funded in part by state funding secured by Senate Bill 125 and implemented once the funds are delivered to MTS, according to the agency.
