Metro - File #: 2015-0655

• File #: 2015-0655
• Type: Informational Report
• Status: Passed
• File created: 5/15/2015
• In control: Board of Directors - Regular Board Meeting
• On agenda: 6/18/2015
• Final action: 6/25/2015
• Title: RECEIVE AND FILE status report on response to Board Motion No. 8: MTA Ridership (March 19, 2015) to develop an Action Plan to increase Metro ridership.
• Sponsors: Executive Management Committee
• Indexes: All Door Boarding, American Public Transportation Association, Barriers (Roads), Budgeting, Bus rapid transit, Customer service, First/Last Mile, Housing, Informational Report, Maps, Metro Exposition Line, Metro Orange Line, Metro Red Line, Metrolink, Motion / Motion Response, Outreach, Partnerships, Payment, Plan, Promotion, Ridership, Safety and security, Security, Service disruption, Strategic planning, Subsidies, Surveys, Transfer on 2nd Boarding, Transit buses

Date	Action By	Action	Result
6/25/2015	Board of Directors - Regular Board Meeting	APPROVED	Pass
6/18/2015	Executive Management Committee
6/17/2015	Finance, Budget and Audit Committee

Meeting_Body
FINANCE, BUDGET AND AUDIT COMMITTEE
JUNE 17, 2015
EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
JUNE 18, 2015

Subject/Action
SUBJECT: RIDERSHIP INITIATIVES
ACTION: RECEIVE AND FILE RESPONSE TO BOARD MOTION NO. 8: MTA RIDERSHIP

Heading
RECOMMENDATION
Title
RECEIVE AND FILE status report on response to Board Motion No. 8: MTA Ridership (March 19, 2015) to develop an Action Plan to increase Metro ridership.
Issue
ISSUE
Since April 2014, ridership across the Metro system, including bus, rail, and BRT service, has declined by 4%. This decline contrasts with a 3% increase in ridership that occurred in the previous four years, from 2010 to 2014. The March 19, 2015 Board Motion No. 8: MTA Ridership (Attachment A) instructed the Metro CEO to develop an action plan to reverse the recent downward trend in boardings and to report back to the Board within 90 days of the Motion. This report provides the requested response and action plan.
Discussion
DISCUSSION
Ridership Trends
As shown in Figure 1, Metro ridership has been declining on a year-over-year basis since April of 2014, in the fourth quarter of FY14. This decline precedes the September 2014 fare restructuring by six months and is part of a larger national trend of declining transit ridership, as shown in Figures 2 and 3.

Figure 1 shows that, through the third quarter of FY15, over the past year Metro boardings have decreased on average by 4% on a year-over-year basis, impacting all modes, including bus, rail, and bus rapid transit (BRT). As shown in Figure 1, bus boardings have decreased by 5%, rail by 2%, Orange Line BRT by 4%, resulting in a total system boardings decline of 4%.




Figure 1
Year-Over-Year Percent Change in Boardings
FY11 - Current

Figures 2 and 3 compare Metro ridership trends by bus (Figure 2) and rail and BRT (Figure 3) with regional and national trends. As shown in Figure 2, national bus ridership began declining in the first quarter of FY14, while Met...