With several major transportation expansions and infrastructure upgrades rolling out across Los Angeles County, a significant shift is happening in how residents move through the city. Now, those massive multi-billion-dollar investments appear to be altering local driving habits, with newly released data from Metro showing that Angelenos are trading their vehicles for the train at levels not seen in more than six years.
The D Line effect
Total system ridership for May — including both buses and rail lines — hit a staggering 26,966,657. Rail alone brought in almost 6.5 million riders, marking a 9.5% increase compared to the same period last year, which makes it the sixth consecutive month of continuous growth for the system.
The primary driver for this transit surge is the recently expanded D Line. Following the grand opening of three brand-new stations on May 8th, the line experienced a massive 62% jump in ridership.
Even though they were not open for the entire month of May, these new stops added between 8,000 and 10,000 new riders every single day, proving that providing an alternative to the Wilshire Boulevard gridlock was a highly anticipated move for the Westside.
“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.
Weekend crowds and event transit
While weekday morning commutes saw a steady 8% bump, the real standout of the month was weekend travel, which soared by 18%.
Instead of dealing with high stadium parking fees and highway bottlenecks, riders heavily utilized the rail system to access major regional events, concerts, and cultural destinations. According to Metro, key drivers for the weekend spikes include the grand opening weekend celebrations for the new D Line stations, Jazz at LACMA Friday nights, and the L.A. County Fair.
By the numbers: Line-by-Line performance
The ridership growth was felt across nearly every corridor in the network, with Saturdays and Sundays seeing the most dramatic year-over-year increases:
- D Line: Exploded with a 62% increase overall, driven by near-80% growth on weekends.
- K Line: Experienced a massive 48% jump, with weekend traffic surging 62.7% on Saturdays and 60.5% on Sundays.
- A Line: Increased by 11.3% overall, maintaining strong weekend performance (21.3% on Saturdays, 18.5% on Sundays).
- B Line: Posted a 7% increase, with the largest gains rolling in over the weekend.
- E Line: Kept its steady growth streak alive, bumping up 4%.
