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3/18/2022
The San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) announced a spike in ridership amid climbing gas prices in Southern California.
Current estimates show ridership will increase 45% over 2021 level, MTS officials said in a press release.
Preliminary estimates show that ridership on both light rail and buses rose nearly 200,000 trips per weekday the week of March 7-11, about 70% of pre-pandemic ridership. Light rail has grown to more than 80% of pre-pandemic ridership levels, and on March 9, light rail ridership increased 111% compared to 2021, agency officials said.
To help boost transit ridership, MTS developed a “commute calculator” to compare the cost of driving alone in a car to work versus taking public transit. MTS also launched a digital advertising campaign highlighting the cost of driving compared to public transit.
“We still have room to grow to get back to pre-pandemic levels, but these are great indicators,” said MTS CEO Sharon Cooney. “This sustained growth coupled with recent ridership spikes prove that people are motivated to save money, and still know that transit is a safe and affordable way to get around.”