Ridership on LA Metro’s buses and trains has increased to its highest level since the coronavirus pandemic, City News Service reported.
There were a total of 284,905,020 boardings in 2023, up 11.6 percent from 2022, according to Metro’s announcement on Monday.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass says it’s a sign of how the public transport system has improved.
“Metro is making the system safer, more welcoming and accessible,” Ms. Bass, who is also the Metro Board chair, said in a statement.
Metro has taken several steps to improve security by reducing trespassing and drug use on the system. The agency said drug use fell by 30 percent in 2023.
“Because of all our improvements, Angelenos are increasingly making Metro their mode of choice to get to their favorite destinations, especially on weekends,” Stephanie Wiggins, CEO of Metro, said in a statement.
The agency also reported that it had implemented a station experience program at Westlake/MacArthur Park, which had the most crime.
Some of the features of that program were improving lighting and ventilation, reinforcing fare gates, and adding a new mobile health clinic.
Metro also boosted cleaning staff, improved end-of-line and station cleaning, and replaced cloth seats with vinyl.
The agency said the system improved the frequency and reliability of service by increasing availability for special events, hiring more than 1,000 bus and rail operators, and adding late-night hours.
The Regional Connector, a reconfiguring of the A and E lines that opened in June 2023, marked seven months of operation by year’s end. As a result, the connector led to a 33.4 percent jump in ridership in December 2023 over December 2022, when the line operated as three lines, according to Metro.
Metro said service on the B (Red) and D (Purple) lines improved to every 12 minutes from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., and from 8:15 a.m. to 7 p.m. on the weekends.
Trains are now running every six minutes between Wilshire/Vermont and Union Station in the shared section of the B and D tracks.
Light-rail lines saw improved frequency on the A (Blue), C (Green), E (Gold), and K (Expo) lines and additional late-night service on the A and E lines, according to the agency.
Frequency on the A and E lines improved to every eight minutes during peak hours (5 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays) and every 10 minutes during midday on weekdays and from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekends. Additional trains on these lines extended service by 40 minutes each night, the agency said.
Metro also reported that the C and K lines boosted frequency in December, with trains operating every 10 minutes.
The agency indicated that it expects the K line to have a similar frequency in May 2024 after it has finished work and testing on LAX/Metro Transit Center Station (set to open in late 2024) as well as the connection of the C and K lines.
