Transit Briefs: Amtrak Virginia, NYMTA, Trinity Metro, LACMTA

Amtrak Virginia

Amtrak Virginia set a ridership record for State Fiscal Year (SFY) 2025, beginning July 1, 2024, and ending June 30, according to the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority (VPRA), which manages all administrative and fiduciary responsibilities for Amtrak Virginia, including the current eight daily roundtrips originating in Roanoke, Norfolk, Newport News, and Richmond, and which provides funding to Virginia Railway Express commuter rail.

During SFY25, there were 1,451,276 riders of the commonwealth of Virginia’s state-supported passenger rail service, up 4.8% from SFY24; this was the highest ridership recorded since Amtrak Virginia service launched in 2009. Increases were seen on all four corridors with Roanoke leading the way with an increase of 6.9%. The Norfolk corridor carried the most riders with 542,743 people traveling in SFY25.

The month of June 2025 also set a record with 126,284 riders, according to VPRA. This was the highest ridership the commonwealth has seen in June since the Amtrak Virginia service launched. All four corridors logged double-digit increases in June.

Amtrak Virginia offers a one-seat ride from Virginia to Philadelphia, New York, and Boston, as well as intermediate stops along Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor.

“The growth that we are continually seeing in our Amtrak Virginia ridership just confirms our work to expand passenger rail in Virginia,” VPRA Executive Director DJ Stadtler said. “We have projects progressing throughout the commonwealth from Northern Virginia to Richmond to the New River Valley. These projects will be transformative for the state’s transportation mix and are necessary to keep Virginians moving.”

VPRA said its Transforming Rail in Virginia (TRV) initiative will allow the commonwealth to expand Amtrak Virginia.  

The most recent TRV milestones include:

• The beginning of early-phase construction activities on the Long Bridge Project, which will connect Virginia and Washington, D.C., with a new two-track railroad bridge across the Potomac River. This early-phase work includes in-river geotechnical borings, vibration monitoring, and foundation testing using a large drill rig and crane to test support systems for the bridge’s foundation. Also, modifications are being made to track and a railroad crash wall near Maryland Avenue, VPRA said.
• The awarding of a $414 million contract to FlatironDragados-Herzog Joint Venture for construction of the Franconia-Springfield Bypass Project, which will improve rail service through the area with a rail bridge that will allow passenger trains to cross over freight trains without interrupting either service.
• Following a groundbreaking for the New River Valley Project, which will extend Amtrak Virginia service from Roanoke to the New River Valley, VPRS said construction in Christiansburg “has progressed quickly” with the removal of trees at the Cambria site. Construction crews have also begun removing the existing tracks to make way for the new configuration, and the proposed access road has been roughly graded. Jack and bore machines are being used for the installation of pipes and other underground structures.

“When all Phase II projects of TRV are complete in 2030, the state will fund 13 Amtrak Virginia roundtrips, up from today’s eight,” VPRA said. Current service includes three roundtrips between Norfolk and Washington, D.C., two between both Roanoke and Washington, and Newport News and Washington, and one between Richmond and the nation’s capital.

MTA

MTA on July 28 announced the results of its spring 2025 Customers Count Survey, which included 89,792 riders who responded online over a two-week period in late April through early May. The results, it said, showed the highest level of overall subway satisfaction since the survey began in spring 2022, along with increased overall satisfaction for bus, Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) and Metro-North Railroad (MNR) riders.

More than half of subway rider respondents, 57%, are satisfied with the subway overall, up from 49% in fall 2024, marking the highest level of overall subway satisfaction since the inception of this survey, according to MTA. The overall increase in satisfaction, it reported, is driven by gains in service reliability, up six points to 60%, and waiting time, up five points to 57%. Additionally, riders “continue to feel safe in the system, with 57% feeling safe on trains, up one point from fall 2024; 54% in stations, up three points; and 48% on subway platforms, up two points,” according to MTA.

Overall Local, Limited and Select Bus rider satisfaction is 64%, up from 53% in fall 2024 and exceeding 60% for the first time since spring 2023, MTA said.

“We’re increasing service and improving reliability on subways and buses, and it’s paying off with some of the highest customer satisfaction we’ve ever seen,” NYC Transit President Demetrius Crichlow said. “And the presence of MTA employees and police officers across the system is making a difference in customer’s perception of safety and our fight against fare evasion.”

In spring 2025, Access-A-Ride shifted to a separate, standalone monthly survey that allows riders to provide feedback about their experience over the past month, and also about their most recent trip, according to MTA. In June 2025, overall Access-A-Ride satisfaction was 78%, on-par with May and with April.

For LIRR, overall satisfaction reached 81% in spring 2025, a five-point increase from fall 2024. Focusing on on-time performance through Jamaica and improving the transfer experience are prime factors in the jump, MTA reported. All key attributes saw increases, including peak and off-peak service frequency, on-time performance, and service reliability, which is up five points to 87%. Overall, spring 2025 rider satisfaction with stations is at 86% and satisfaction with Penn Station is at 82%. Safety attributes also saw increases, MTA said, with safety from crime or harassment on board up three points to 89% and safety from crime or harassment in stations up two points to 81%.

“The LIRR works tirelessly to improve the customer experience, and this survey proves that our efforts are making a difference with significantly higher customer satisfaction,” LIRR President Rob Free said. “Our service is consistently safe, clean, and reliable so customers can enjoy taking the LIRR to work, school, or anything Long Island has to offer.” 

MNR continues to be the highest-rated agency with an overall rider satisfaction rating of 89%, up from 85% in fall 2024, with increases across all lines, according to MTA. The Hudson line was the highest performing, with satisfaction increasing four points to 90%. The Harlem line improved to 89%, up four points, and the New Haven line increased five points to 89%. According to MTA, key drivers in increased satisfaction include peak and off-peak service frequency and seat availability. 

“MNR saw record on-time performance in the first half of 2025, and our customers are responding,” MNR President Justin Vonashek said. “Their satisfaction with our safe and reliable service is a testament to the hard work and commitment of every Metro-North employee, ensuring customers have the best experience possible.”

Meanwhile, MTA on July 28 also announced it will add Customer Service Centers (CSCs) to 15 more locations throughout Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island and the Bronx beginning in 2026. Agents at CSCs are on hand 24/7 to assist riders with OMNY fare-payment machines, help riders sign up for the Fair Fares and Reduced-Fare programs, and provide service information, among other features. These new CSC’s build on the 15 that have been assisting riders since they were introduced in 2022. 

CSCs feature services historically provided by MTA exclusively at 3 Stone Street in lower Manhattan in the neighborhoods where riders live. The centers comprise “repurposed booths and retail outlets, and feature enhanced accessibility, OMNY technology, and a dedicated, more welcoming visual presentation for customers through new lighting, branded wrapping, and canopies,” according to MTA. 

The new CSCs will be available at the following stations:

• East 180 St  2 5
• Grand Central 4 5 6 
• Far Rockaway – Mott Av A
• Rockaway Parkway L

A final list of the 15 additional stations with new CSCs will be announced in the coming months, according to MTA. 

“The CSC expansion comes as the MTA transitions to the OMNY tap-and-go fare payment system and increases the eligibility requirements for Fair Fares,” NYC Transit’s Demetrius Crichlow said. “We want to make sure we are doing all we can to give customers the support they need to make their experiences in the system a pleasant one.”  

“With overall subway rider satisfaction at an all-time high, our customer service agents are a big part of that accomplishment—bringing critical support to riders when they need it most,” MTA Chief Customer Officer Shanifah Rieara noted. “CSCs are part of our core commitment to helping New Yorkers navigate the transit system and we’re excited to expand this important service locally.” 

Trinity Metro

Trinity Metro is offering free rides on all local services in Tarrant County, Tex., from Monday, Aug. 4, through Sunday, Aug. 10 to “help everyone with their summer fun and back-to-school activities,” it reported. Encompassing the sales tax holiday weekend, Aug. 8-10, these transit services will offer free rides: TEXRail, which operates between Fort Worth and Dallas Fort Worth International Airport’s Terminal B, and is solely owned and operated by Trinity Metro; Trinity Railway Express (TRE), which runs between Fort Worth and Dallas and is jointly owned and operated by Trinity Metro and Dallas Area Rapid Transit; Trinity Metro Bus; Trinity Metro Bikes; and Trinity Metro On-Demand. Free rides on TRE are only valid within Tarrant County.

“Simply board the bus or train—no ticket needed—and begin your adventure throughout Tarrant County!” said Trinity Metro, which was created in 1983 as a regional transportation authority of the State of Texas and is not an agency or department of any of its member cities.

Further Reading: Inside Trinity Metro’s ROI Playbook

LACMTA

LACMTA has announced that the 2025 point-in-time count of “people experiencing homelessness” on the transit system has fallen 37% to 39% from the previous year. This year’s count estimates 631 to 684 unhoused individuals on LACMTA’s system, compared with 1,041 to 1,092 in 2024. By comparison, LACMTA said, homelessness decreased by 4% across Los Angeles County and 3.4% within the City of Los Angeles, according to the Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count. 

The Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count led by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) was conducted on the LACMTA system from Feb. 18–20, 2025. The survey used methodology developed by the University of Southern California for LAHSA’s count and aligned with U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development standards. The LACMTA-specific results, which focused on stations, rights-of-way, and parking lots, “were not included in LAHSA’s published regional total but provide an essential look at homelessness on the transit system,” according to LACMTA.

LACMTA said its “care-based approach focuses on connecting unhoused riders to supportive services and housing, in collaboration with the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services (DHS) and a network of homeless service providers.” Through its HOME (Homeless Outreach and Mobile Engagement) program, the transit agency deploys multidisciplinary teams across the bus and rail system, offering resources in real time to individuals in need. LACMTA partners with six community-based homeless services providers—PATH, Christ Centered Ministries, HOPICS, LA Family Housing, Union Station Homeless Services, and Helpline Youth Counseling—to provide services and housing.

In fiscal year 2025, LACMTA’s outreach teams connected 2,709 people to interim or permanent housing, exceeding the agency’s goal of housing 1,800 individuals by more than 150%.

“I am proud that Metro’s [LACMTAs] care-based approach is delivering real results, not only improving the lives of thousands of unhoused individuals but also enhancing the experience for our riders,” LACMTA CEO Stephanie Wiggins said. “Fewer people are using the Metro system as shelter, and more are being connected to housing and services. That’s a win for everyone who depends on public transit.”

Separately, LACMTA recently reported that Section 1 of the D Line Subway Extension Project is 98% complete.