The city’s buses and trolleys are close to pre-pandemic ridership numbers but face a $120 million deficit that could require service cuts.
San Diego’s Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) has been making significant ridership gains, reaching 95 percent of pre-pandemic numbers this summer, reports David Garrick in the San Diego Union-Tribune.
According to Garrick, “Annual ridership on Metropolitan Transportation System buses and trolleys rose more than 7% to 81.2 million during the fiscal year that ended in June — only 4.2 million lower than the pre-pandemic ridership of 85.4 million.”
However, MTS faces a looming $120 million per year budget shortfall that could jeopardize the system’s growth. System officials are analyzing all of MTS’s 100 bus routes to understand where cuts could be made. “MTS officials have also begun exploring a possible November 2028 ballot measure that could raise the local sales tax half a cent to generate revenue only for transit projects.” The tax could generate up to $300 million a year for transit services.
FULL STORY: San Diego transit at a crossroads? MTS boasts robust ridership recovery — but faces financial crisis
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