Another Year of Falling Ridership for L.A.'s Metro System

Even as extensions to the Gold Line and Measure S seem to paint a brighter future for public transit in Los Angeles, commuters continue to use less public transit, especially buses.

2 minute read

February 23, 2017, 7:00 AM PST

By Casey Brazeal @northandclark


Metro Buses

Michael Gordon / Shutterstock

"Since 2009, Metro has opened four new rail extensions at a cost of more than $4 billion. In the same period, rail ridership soared 21%, but bus trips — a much larger share of overall ridership — dropped 18%," writes Laura J. Nelson for the Los Angeles Times.

The reasons for the shrinking use of transit are multiple, according to Nelson's reporting. One is the complexity of serving a city with so many different commerce centers, which requires compromises in bus service. "But tweaks over the years to routes and schedules may have eroded the efficiency of some workhorse bus lines that serve major corridors, or made the routes more confusing for riders," Nelson writes. Nelson also reports that some transit experts see falling bus ridership as a side effect of an improving economy. "As L.A.’s economy has steadily improved, traffic has grown worse, and so has Metro’s on-time performance. Agency figures show that about 76% of buses arrived on time in the 2014 fiscal year." Ride sharing services may be partly to blame as well.

One reason for the decline in bus ridership Nelson does not cite is zoning and density. There's been much talk about how although L.A.'s downtown is becoming more popular, it's hard to build large dense transit-friendly buildings in the city. This phenomenon is noticeable by how few cranes you see in the city's downtown compared to even smaller, slower-growing cities like Chicago. Density continues to be on the minds of many as Measure S and the possibility of stalling the construction of more and taller residential and business buildings looms

Monday, February 13, 2017 in Los Angeles Times

Sweeping view of Portland, Oregon with Mt. Hood in background against sunset sky.

Oregon Passes Exemption to Urban Growth Boundary

Cities have a one-time chance to acquire new land for development in a bid to increase housing supply and affordability.

March 12, 2024 - Housing Wire

Aerial view of green roofs with plants in Sydney, Australia.

Where Urban Design Is Headed in 2024

A forecast of likely trends in urban design and architecture.

March 10, 2024 - Daily Journal of Commerce

People ride bikes past outdoor restaurant patio with misters in Culdesac car-free development, Tempe, Arizona.

Car-Free Arizona Suburb Gains Residents

The project, dubbed Culdesac, offers EV rentals, free light rail passes, and other perks instead of private parking.

March 6, 2024 - Fast Company

Close-up of American flag sticker on a silver subway train.

How Public Transit Became Political

A number of factors explain the partisan divide in support for transit.

March 14 - Governing

Intersection in downtown Los Angeles with pedestrians crossing, vintage building across street, and modern glass office tower in background.

LA Zoning Reforms Could Yield Up to 250,000 New Homes

A draft plan would speed up permitting for residential projects with an affordability component and make more buildings eligible for adaptive reuse.

March 14 - The Center Square

Close-up on dozens of anti-climate change signs at protest with people not visible.

Resilience Matters: Building Sustainable Futures

A new e-book highlights the work of people and organizations planning more resilient cities.

March 14 - Island Press

News from HUD User

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Call for Speakers

Mpact Transit + Community

New Updates on PD&R Edge

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.