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BUS AND COMMUTER RAIL RIDERSHIP GROWTH CONTINUES, YET REMAINS BELOW PRE-PANDEMIC RIDERSHIP LEVELS 

The ability of residents and workers within San Bernardino County to access diverse transportation options contributes to a higher quality of life and a more prosperous business climate. An effective public transit system is essential for individuals who cannot afford to drive a car, are unable to drive, or choose not to. Rail and bus service is important for meeting differing transit needs, with rail serving mostly longer-distance commuters and buses serving mostly local commuters and other trips. This indicator measures ridership on the Metrolink commuter rail system serving the region  (San Bernardino, Riverside, Inland Empire/Orange County, and Perris Valley/91 lines), as well as ridership and operating costs for San Bernardino County’s five bus systems, which offer bus service coverage in substantial portions of all 25 cities in the county plus strategic unincorporated areas.       

TREND

After a substantial pandemic-induced decline in ridership for Metrolink rail lines that have at least one station in or near San Bernardino County (including San Bernardino, Riverside, Inland Empire/Orange County, and Perris Valley/91 lines), ridership figures from 2023/24 showed continuing recovery.  In 2023/24, there was a combined total of 3.33 million riders served by the four Metrolink rail lines serving the Inland Empire. This represents 18% growth in one year and a 177% increase since the pandemic-induced low of 1.2 million riders, but still 44% below the number of riders 10 years ago (5.94 million in 2014/15).

The San Bernardino Line, the highest ridership line in the Metrolink system, saw a 28% increase in weekday ridership compared to 2022/23. This line, which includes the Arrow service to Redlands as of 2022, carries about 30% of the ridership on the Metrolink system. The Riverside line saw a 7% increase from the prior year, and the Inland Empire/Orange County line saw a 31% increase. All lines remain below their pre-pandemic (2018/19) ridership levels, with the Riverside line experiencing the slowest recovery with ridership at roughly 30% of pre-pandemic levels.  

RAIL RIDERSHIP CONTINUES TO REBOUND ON ALL LINES
Commuter Rail Ridership on Rail Lines Serving the Inland Empire (San Bernardino Line, Riverside Line, Inland Empire/Orange County Line, and Perris Valley/91 Line), 2015-2024

Source: San Bernardino County Transportation Authority 

Bus ridership continued to steadily increase each year following the pandemic-induced 10-year low in 2020/21. Rebounding from 5.73 million riders collectively on the bus systems serving San Bernardino County in 2020/21, three years later in 2023/24, the bus systems served a combined 9.61 million riders.  While this 68% growth since 2020/21 is substantial, current ridership has not yet surpassed pre-pandemic levels (13.57 million riders in 2018/19).

Omnitrans, which experienced a 14% one-year increase in ridership between 2022/23 and 2023/24, served the most San Bernardino County residents (6.98 million riders in 2023/24).  

Victor Valley Transit Authority (VVTA), which serves the second highest number of residents, experienced the greatest one-year growth in ridership, rising 23%, from 1.35 million riders in 2022/23 to 1.66 million riders in 2023/24.  

BUS RIDERSHIP GROWS STEADILY FOLLOWING PANDEMIC-INDUCED DROP
Bus Ridership in San Bernardino County, 2015-2024

Note: Beginning 2015/16, the City of Barstow and portions of the county joined VVTA, expanding its service area. Consequently, ridership reporting for Barstow Area Transit ended in 2015/16.

Source: San Bernardino County Transportation Authority 

GEOGRAPHIC COMPARISON

Transit agencies serving San Bernardino County residents, including Omnitrans, VVTA, Riverside Transit Agency, and SunLine Transit Agency, have fewer bus passenger trips per capita than most of their peer markets, including transit agencies serving Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and Phoenix.  VVTA posted the highest operating costs per bus trip at $34.91 in 2023.  The transit agency serving Las Vegas and greater Clark County had the lowest operating cost per bus trip at $4.01 in 2023.  Omnitrans’ operating costs per trip ($11.34) was the fourth highest among the 10 agencies compared. 

HIGHER RIDERSHIP RATE GENERALLY ALIGNS WITH LOWER PER TRIP OPERATING COSTS
Regional Comparison of Bus System Passenger Trips per Capita and Operating Costs, 2023

Note:  Omnitrans and VVTA serve regions that may differ in size, population density, and land use from the standard peer regions used for comparison in the San Bernardino County Community Indicators Report (Phoenix, Miami, Las Vegas, and San Diego, Los Angeles, Riverside, and Orange counties). These differences should be considered when interpreting the data. Boardings per capita are calculated using the approximate service area population for a given transit provider and include bus and bus rapid transit service only; commuter bus, demand response service, and heavy or light rail is not included. Service area populations sourced from the 2023 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates for San Bernardino, Riverside, Orange, Los Angeles, San Diego, Clark, and Miami-Dade counties. The service area population for Valley Metro is sourced from 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates and includes cities over 100,000 population served by Valley Metro according to the Valley Metro Annual Ridership Report FY2023. The service area populations for SunLine and Victor Valley are sourced from the National Transit Database, Primary UZA Population, Indio-Palm Desert-Palm Springs and Victorville-Hesperia-Apple Valley.

Source: National Transit Database, National Total Summary and Complete Profile Set: All Reporters (www.transit.dot.gov/ntd/transit-profiles-summary-reports); U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2023, 5-Year Estimates (data.census.gov)