LOS ANGELES — LA Metro reached a milestone in September, averaging more than 1 million weekday riders for the first time since before the pandemic, which also marked the 22nd consecutive month of year-over-year ridership growth, officials announced Friday.

Last month, the agency's combined bus and rail ridership reached 86.4% of its September 2019 pre-pandemic records, exceeding the nationwide transit average of 76% of pre-pandemic levels. Average weekday boardings on Metro reached 83.6% of September 2019 levels and weekends stood at 96.6% of the pre-pandemic level.

"A million boardings a day is a major milestone," Metro Board Chair and LA County Supervisor Janice Hahn said in a statement. "It's also a reminder that while we have to prepare for the World Cup and the Olympics, every single day, hundreds of thousands of people here in LA County are using our buses and trains to get around, and our commitment is to them."

With safety a top priority for Metro leadership, Hahn added, "We owe them (riders) a safe, dependable, enjoyable system, whether they're on a bus, a train platform or riding a train."

Metro recorded 20,912,410 trips taken on its buses, an increase of 6.9% compared to the same month last year. Average weekday bus ridership stood at 804,279 in September, the highest since February 2020, according to the agency.

An estimated 534,373 trips were taken on Metro buses on Saturdays, while another 448,223 trips were taken on Sundays. Weekend ridership for September stood at 96.3% compared to its pre-pandemic level.

The agency cited its bus ridership growth to two of its Bus Rapid Transit lines — the J line, which has dedicated bus lanes on the 10 and 110 freeways from El Monte to San Pedro, and the G Line, which runs through the San Fernando Valley. 

Rail boardings increased by nearly 10% in September 2024 compared to September 2023, which also stood at 85.1% of its pre-pandemic level. Weekday rail boardings increased by 11.7% year-over-year while weekend figures grew by 4.81% year-over-year.

Metro's light rails drove ridership growth in this area. Ridership on the A Line increased by 16.2%, the E Line grew by 18%, the C Line grew 10.7% and the K Line grew 4.1%, all compared to 2023 figures.

Weekend events were a driving force for overall ridership growth, the agency added. In September, weekend rail ridership reached 99.4% of its pre- pandemic level, meanwhile weekend bus boardings reached 96.3% of pre-pandemic levels.

"Thanks to the more than 12,000 dedicated public servants who work hard, day and night, rain or shine, Metro is recovering faster than almost any large transit agency in America," Metro CEO Stephanie Wiggins said in a statement. "This 1 million-weekday-rider milestone is a testament to the enormous effort we've undertaken to make our system cleaner, safer, easier, more comfortable and more reliable for all the Angelenos who rely on us every day."