Traffic & Transit
Metro’s D Line Ridership Soars 114% As LA Events Boost Systemwide Use
Systemwide, ridership averaged 1,022,776 boardings on weekdays in September.
LOS ANGELES, CA — Sporting events, concerts and other cultural activities continued to fuel Metro's ridership gains in September, officials reported Friday.
Last month, Metro recorded 27,281,003 boardings, a 3.9% increase over September 2025. The D Line had the largest year-over-year increase, with ridership rising 114% on weekdays and nearly 93% overall.
Systemwide, ridership averaged 1,022,776 boardings on weekdays, a 4.4% increase over September 2025. Saturdays averaged 720,083 boardings, while Sundays averaged 584,475 boardings.
Find out what's happening in Los Angelesfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Nearly 20% of ridership came from customers enrolled in programs offering free or discounted rides, including Metro's GoPass for students in kindergarten through community college at participating schools, LIFE for people with qualifying incomes, U-Pass for students at participating colleges and universities, and E-Pass for employees whose employers participate in the program.
Metro cited various events throughout the region as contributing to the increase in ridership.
Find out what's happening in Los Angelesfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
BTS performed multiple concerts at SoFi Stadium. J. Cole performed at both Intuit Dome and Crypto.com Arena, while the Hollywood Bowl hosted a John Williams tribute.
College football returned with home games for USC at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and UCLA at the Rose Bowl, along with home games for the Rams and Chargers at SoFi Stadium.
The Dodgers, Galaxy, LAFC, Sparks and Kings also played home games. More Angelenos and visitors took public transportation to museums and convention centers for events.
The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art in Exposition Park opened in September, and the Los Angeles Korean Festival took place at Seoul International Park.
Other large crowds attended Long Beach Comic Con and the L.A. Low Rider Magazine Super Show at the Los Angeles Convention Center.
Metro officials said rail ridership remained strong, rising 12.4% over September 2025 to 6,698,337 boardings. Weekdays had the largest increase at 13.9%, averaging 244,680 boardings. Saturdays averaged 194,793 boardings, a 10.5% year-over-year increase.
Bus ridership also grew 1.4% year-over-year, with Saturday boardings increasing 2.2% to an average of 525,290. The J Line, a bus rapid transit route, recorded a 5.6% increase. Total bus ridership in September was 20,582,666.
City News Service
