Photo: Barry Winiker / The Image Bank Unreleased / Getty Images
LOS ANGELES (CNS) - LA Metro is reporting continued ridership gains Wednesday, with the agency averaging more than one million weekday boardings in October and marking the 23rd consecutive month of year-over-year growth.
October's combined bus and rail ridership level reached 86% of its 2019 pre-pandemic figures. Metro's average weekday boardings stood at 83.9% of pre-pandemic levels, while weekend ridership stood at 97.5% of its pre-pandemic level.
The bus system saw 22,498,869 trips in October, a 7.5% increase compared to October 2023. Average weekday bus ridership stood at 804,963 in October, an increase of 684 new riders compared to September.
On the weekend, an average of 545,208 trips were taken on Metro buses on Saturdays, while an average of 450,972 trips were taken on Sundays. Bus ridership for October stood at 95.8% of its October 2019 pre-pandemic level.
Metro credited its bus ridership growth to more riders on its J and G lines. The J line, which runs on dedicated bus lanes on the 10 and 110 freeways from El Monte to San Pedro, rose by 10.6%, and the G Line, which serves the San Fernando Valley, increased by 4.7% compared to October 2023.
Meanwhile, rail boardings rose by 8.6%, and October's figures stood at 85.1% of their October 2019 pre-pandemic level.
Weekday rail boardings increased by 14.2% year-over-year, and stood at 95.8% of the pre-pandemic level. Weekend ridership exceeded pre-pandemic levels by 3.1%, according to Metro.
On its light rail system, the transit agency saw more riders on its K (Pink), E (Yellow), A (Blue) and C (Green) lines.
Ridership on the K Line -- which runs from Expo/Crenshaw to Redondo Beach -- increased by 23% year-over year. The E Line, from East Los Angeles to Santa Monica, saw a 18.5% year-over-year growth.
On the A Line, from Azusa to Long Beach, riderships grew 13.3% year- over-year, and the C Line from Norwalk to Aviation/Century saw an increase of 7.1%.
Weekend events continue to drive overall growth on the system, Metro added. Weekend rail ridership exceeded its pre-pandemic level, reaching 103.1%, while weekend bus boardings reached 95.8% of pre-pandemic level.
Additionally, the agency's Low-Income Fare is Easy, or LIFE program, saw an 28% increase year-over-year in October, or 2,042,922 boardings compared to 1,592,478 riders in October 2023.
The program provides free rides or reduced fares to low-income customers.