Metro - File #: 2025-0305

• File #: 2025-0305
• Type: Informational Report
• Status: Agenda Ready
• File created: 4/15/2025
• In control: Operations, Safety, and Customer Experience Committee
• On agenda: 7/17/2025
• Title: RECEIVE AND FILE status update on NextGen Bus Ridership.
• Sponsors: System Safety, Security and Operations Committee
• Indexes: Access Services Inc., Access-To-Jobs, Altadena, Arroyo Verdugo subregion, Boyle Heights, Bus rapid transit, Bus Speed Improvements, Central Los Angeles subregion, City of Los Angeles, Compton, Construction, Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), Design build, Equity Focus Communities, Florence, Gateway Cities (Southeast LA County) Service Sector, Gateway Cities subregion, GoPass, Hollywood, Informational Report, Low-Income Fare is Easy (LIFE), Metro Busway G Line, Metro Rail A Line, Metro Rail B Line, Metro Rail C Line, NextGen Bus Study, North Hollywood, Off peak periods, Olympic games, Outreach, Pasadena, Peak periods, Plan, Ridership, Safety, San Fernando, San Fernando Valley Service Sector, San Fernando Valley subregion, Santa Monica, South Bay Cities subregion, South Bay Service Sector, State government, Strategic planning, Telecommuting, Transfer on 2nd Boarding, Transfers, Transit buses, Travel patterns, Travel time, Trip length, Van Nuys, Warner Center, Westside Cities subregion, Westside/Central Service Sector, Westwood, Willowbrook

Meeting_Body
OPERATIONS, SAFETY, AND CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE COMMITTEE
JULY 17, 2025

Subject
SUBJECT: NEXTGEN RIDERSHIP UPDATE - Q1 CY2025

Action
ACTION: RECEIVE AND FILE

Heading
RECOMMENDATION

Title
RECEIVE AND FILE status update on NextGen Bus Ridership.

Issue
ISSUE

This report provides an assessment of Metro's bus ridership for the first quarter of calendar year 2025 (Q1 CY2025), consisting of January, February, and March 2025, compared to the pre-pandemic and start of pandemic/pre-NextGen Bus Plan ridership from the same period in 2019. Ridership changes are examined by day type (weekday, Saturday, Sunday), service area, across Equity Focus Communities (EFCs) and non-EFCs, time period, line or line group, as well as average passenger trip length.

Background
BACKGROUND

* The Metro Board adopted the NextGen Bus Plan in October 2020.
* The NextGen Bus Plan was designed to create a fast, frequent, and reliable Metro bus system and will be rolled out in two phases: "Reconnect" and "Transit First."
* Reconnect was the initial phase to restructure the existing network, and it was implemented over three implementation dates between December 2020 and December 2021.
* Transit First was an additional phase to maximize the plan's effectiveness through strategic, quick-build capital investments in improved bus speeds and direct revenue service hours saved on bus frequency improvements.
* While the NextGen Bus Plan was fully implemented by the end of 2021, the national operator shortage during the COVID-19 pandemic required Metro to temporarily reduce service by 10% in February 2022 to stabilize service reliability.
* Full restoration of the NextGen Bus Plan service levels were completed in phases by December 2022.
* Metro continued to operate the full NextGen bus service levels through 2023 into 2024 with improved reliability due to full bus operator staffing, which was achieved by August 2023.
* A 1-2% operator shortage has existed since December 2023, ...