LA Metro
L.A. Metro celebrated its 24th consecutive month of year-over-year ridership growth in November with 25,844,065 boardings, the agency recently announced.
The combined rail and bus ridership reached nearly 88% of its 2019 pre-pandemic ridership level. While the agency typically sees a drop in ridership during November and December due to the holiday season, LA Metro’s average weekday boardings still reached 84.4% of its 2019 pre-pandemic levels and on the weekends, ridership attained 99.3% of its pre-pandemic level.
Rail boardings grew 11.2% in November 2024 over November 2023, with November 2024’s rail ridership standing at 75.3% of its November 2019 pre-pandemic level. Weekday rail boardings grew by 12.2% year-over-year and reached 71.2% of its November 2019 pre-pandemic level. Weekend rail in November 2024 grew 13% year-over-year and is now at 89.6% its of pre-pandemic level.
E Line ridership grew 14.1%, led by Saturday and Sunday boardings, which were 19.3 and 24.3% higher respectively in November 2024 compared to November 2023.
Weekend and leisure riders continue to drive ridership growth, according to LA Metro. Weekend rail ridership exceeded its year-over-year ridership by 13% and reached 89.6% of its pre-pandemic November 2019 ridership. Notably, weekend bus boardings exceeded pre-pandemic levels by 2.9% for the first time.
The day of the Dodgers World Series Parade, Nov. 1, LA Metro saw approximately 80,000 additional rides on its system.
In November, LA Metro’s Low-Income Fare is Easy (LIFE) program, which provides free rides and reduced fares to low-income customers, saw a 16% year-over-year ridership increase. LIFE ridership in November 2024 saw 1,761,586 boardings compared to 1,516,311 in November 2023. The LIFE team continues to share information about this important LA Metro program and in November hosted nearly 100 outreach and pop-up events, disseminated 2,300 brochures, and enrolled more than 6,101 new people into the program during the month.
Amtrak
The Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority (NNEPRA) recently announced that the Amtrak Downeaster celebrated a historic milestone—reaching 10 million riders since its inaugural trip in 2001, “a result of a citizen initiative started by Trainriders Northeast.”
A special celebration took place on board Downeaster Train 686 between Brunswick, Maine, and Wells, Maine on Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024. NNEPRA staff handed out cookies and Golden Tickets (valid for a free round-trip on the Downeaster) to passengers to commemorate their part in this historic trip. The on-board celebration combined with special community partnerships, and an online giveaway have helped make the 10-millionth rider milestone truly memorable for all involved, according to NNEPRA.
“Reaching 10 million riders is a significant accomplishment which speaks to the value the Amtrak Downeaster service provides to so many people and communities in our region and State,” said NNEPRA Executive Director Patricia Quinn. “The Downeaster is much more than just a train ride—it’s a lifeline for commuters, a resource for students, and an essential link to medical care and other important services. Families also rely on the Downeaster to attend events, explore Maine’s beautiful coastline, and visit loved ones. We are proud to celebrate this achievement and look forward to continuing to serve our communities for many years to come.”
In addition to its significance for passengers, the Downeaster is a “cornerstone of the regional economy,” NNEPRA noted. Passenger rail service supports jobs and promotes tourism, helping boost local economies in the cities and towns it serves.
NNEPRA says it is exploring opportunities to expand and enhance service to meet the growing needs of riders and communities in the years ahead. The Portland Station Relocation Project is a priority initiative, which the Authority says will “reduce travel time, improve reliability, minimize conflicts with freight trains, reduce operating costs while increasing ridership and revenue and promoting car-free travel.”
BART
BART collected more than 1,100 toys and $3,600 in gift cards for families involved with Mission Food Hub, a food bank that serves more than 300 families a week in San Francisco’s Mission District.
According to the agency, more than 500 families attended the organization’s recent toy giveaway, and each child was invited to select two toys.
BART’s annual Holiday Toy Drive is helmed by the Office of External Affairs and BART Police, who present the new, unwrapped toys and gift card donations in a joyful ceremony during the final BART Board meeting of the year. It’s tradition for the BART Board President to select the organization. Last year, BART employees donated more than 1,500 toys and $1,700 in gift cards to the Samoan Community Development Center of San Francisco (SCDC) and the Community Youth Center of San Francisco (CYC).
CTA
CTA recently celebrated a major milestone—the training and qualifying of more than 200 new rail operators.
At the outset of this year, CTA President Dorval R. Carter, Jr., set an ambitious goal to double CTA’s intake of new rail operator trainees, increasing classes from the previous year and accommodating at least 20 participants per training cohort. Some said it could not be done, but the workforce expansion, the agency says, “helps ensure CTA has the skilled personnel needed to meet increasing ridership and planned service enhancements in 2025.”
This fall, CTA successfully restored pre-pandemic service levels with a 20% boost in scheduled weekly roundtrips across all eight rail lines. When compared to the Spring 2024 schedule, the system now provides more than 1,200 additional weekly rail trips—”enhancing service frequency and delivering shorter wait times and more convenient travel throughout the city,” according to the agency.
SEPTA
SEPA on Dec. 19 announced that it has awarded a contract to Philly Office Retail for the long-term lease of five vacant Regional Rail stations along the Chestnut Hill East and Chestnut Hill West Lines.
Under this first-of-its kind agreement, Philly Office Retail will pay SEPTA $1 per year for up to 99 years to lease the following stations: Gravers, Mt. Airy, Carpenter, Tulpehocken, and Upsal—all of which are listed on either the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places or the National Register of Historic Places.
The developer will assume all costs associated with renovating the station—saving SEPTA approximately $150,000 in annual maintenance costs, in addition to $4 million in one-time renovation costs, according to the agency. While plans for the stations are still being developed, they are expected to include retail and residential options.
“This is a win-win situation for SEPTA and the Northwest Philadelphia community,” said SEPTA Interim General Manager Scott A. Sauer. “These five historic buildings have the potential to become community hubs—benefiting SEPTA riders and people in the surrounding neighborhoods. It is also another example of how we continue to do our part to control costs and be good stewards of taxpayer dollars.”
Philly Office Retail has a proven track record of renovating historic buildings, SEPTA noted. The developer currently operates the Richard Allen Lane Station under a traditional lease agreement with a coffee shop on the ground floor and a residential apartment above.
Pending approval by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), work is expected to begin next year. Philly Office Retail will continue to coordinate with SEPTA on planned improvements to the sites.
