Metropolitan Council transit ridership grew 6% in 2024, the third consecutive year of growth following a pandemic-driven drop. Our largest transit service, Metro Transit, provided more than 47.5 million rides last year, a nearly 6% increase from 2023. “Transit connects people, strengthens communities, and improves lives, so it’s encouraging to see our reach and impact continue to grow across the region,” Metro Transit General Manager Lesley Kandaras said. Bus rapid transit ridership continued to be robust. Collectively, about 8.2 million rides were taken on the METRO A Line, C Line, D Line, Orange Line, and Red Line. Ridership in these corridors increased nearly 14% from 2023. The region’s growing METRO network of fast, frequent, all-day service will expand in 2025 with the opening of three new BRT lines – the METRO Gold Line, METRO B Line, and METRO E Line. “People are voting with their feet, and they’re telling us they value the kind of frequent and reliable service we’re providing in our METRO corridors,” Council Chair Charlie Zelle said. “The ongoing effort to expand our METRO network promises to build on the successes we’re already seeing.” Transit is a key component to keeping the region’s economy vital. More than half of people who ride transit don’t have access to a personal vehicle. Transit gets people to their jobs, medical appointments, shopping, and to entertainment venues and social engagements. Ridership on advance-reservation services rises 4% Ridership on the Met Council’s advance-reservation services – including Metro Mobility, Metro Move, Metro micro, and Transit Link – grew to 2.37 million rides, up about 4% from 2023. Metro Mobility is a longstanding service for certified riders who have a disability, provided in and near corridors served by regular-route transit. Metro Move was launched in 2024. This service offers people who have a disability and are served by certain waivers (for example, state assistance for people with brain injury) guaranteed, reliable rides to and from community resources, like jobs and support services. Nearly 95% of Metro Move riders are certified for Metro Mobility, so those riders may choose whichever service works best for their trip purpose. Transit Link is an advance-reservation service for people who live more than one-quarter mile from fixed-route transit and are unable to use fixed-route service for some or all of their trip; it serves primarily rural areas of the region. More recently the Met Council has piloted and is expanding its micro transit service, which offers shared-ride, very localized small-bus service. In January this year, Metro micro service was expanded to the Roseville area and Woodbury area. Metro Transit service expanding as recruitment efforts continue Metro Transit improved and expanded service in 2024, offering more trips on several routes and moving to 12-minute light rail service throughout most of the day. Service improvements were supported by the hiring of more than 450 new operators in 2024, the largest annual influx ever. Metro Transit now has more than 1,300 bus and train operators. This spring, the Met Council will be asked to adopt a service improvement plan, Network Now, that outlines plans to expand service through 2027. Fully implementing the plan would put 39% of BIPOC residents, 44% of low-income residents, and 29% of the regional population within 5 minutes of a stop or station where a bus or train is scheduled to arrive at least every 15 minutes. Reported crime drops 6% from 2023 to 2024 The rise in Metro Transit ridership was accompanied by a drop in reported crime on transit. Systemwide, 7,402 crimes were reported on transit in 2024, a 6% decline from 2023. The 2024 total includes 1,127 citations for smoking, which police proactively addressed throughout the year. Efforts to provide a consistently clean, safe, and welcoming experience on transit will continue in 2025 as Metro Transit grows its Transit Rider Investment Program, further invests in supplemental security, and works to recruit more police officers and Community Service Officers (CSOs). Posted In: