San Diego County transit hit a new ridership record during this year’s Free Ride Day.
This year’s passenger enthusiasm marked a new milestone for the Metropolitan Transit System and North County Transit District, said the transit agencies.
“Free Ride Day is a great way to gauge interest in transit use and it is clear that San Diego residents will support, ride and embrace a great transit system,” said San Diego City Councilmember and MTS board chair Stephen Whitburn.
“This year’s ridership gains highlight the value public transit provides to our communities. Free Ride Day is just one aspect of MTS’s ongoing commitment to help San Diego cut greenhouse gas emissions, improve air quality, and create a healthier environment for all.”
On Free Ride Day, there was no charge to ride on MTS buses, the trolley, COASTER commuter rail, SPRINTER hybrid rail, NCTD+ On-demand rides, and BREEZE fixed-route bus services.
The annual event recorded more than 340,000 passenger trips on their systems.
For MTS, the preliminary ridership numbers represent a 15.4% increase in ridership compared to the previous week’s daily average, the highest single-day ridership, and the first to break 300,000 riders since the pandemic began in 2020.
NCTD saw a 28% increase in ridership compared to the Wednesday prior. On the COASTER, NCTD recorded the highest daily ridership since the start of the pandemic.
By switching from driving a car to taking public transit, San Diegans can save an average of $1,244 a month, almost $15,000 annually, according to a 2023 report from the American Public Transportation Association.
