BUS AND COMMUTER RAIL STRUGGLE TO RETAIN PRE-PANDEMIC RIDERSHIP LEVELS
The ability of residents and workers to move efficiently within San Bernardino County 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, are unable, or choose not to drive a car. Having both rail and bus service is important for meeting diverse transit needs, with rail serving mostly longer-distance commuters and buses serving mostly local commuters and other trips. This indicator measures ridership on the commuter rail system, as well as ridership and operating costs for San Bernardino County’s five bus systems, which offer bus service coverage to over 90% of the county’s population.
TREND
After a substantial pandemic-induced decline of in ridership for all Metrolink rail lines that have at least one station serving San Bernardino County, ridership figures from fiscal year 2021/22 showed a one-year rebound of 84% to 2.21 million riders. Despite the increase, ridership remains down 65% from the pre-pandemic 10-year high in 2012/13 of 6.25 million riders. Ridership recovered the fastest on the Perris Valley/91 line, rebounding 101% over the 2020/21 low. The remaining lines rebounded between 80% and 84% in one year. All lines remain below half of their pre-pandemic (2018/19) ridership levels, with the Riverside Line experiencing the slowest recovery with ridership at just 20% of pre-pandemic levels. Prior to the pandemic, ridership on the Inland Empire/Orange County Line and the Perris Valley/91 Line was generally increasing. This growth was halted by the pandemic.
RAIL RIDERSHIP BEGINS TO REBOUND ON ALL LINES
Commuter Rail Ridership on Rail Lines Serving San Bernardino County (San Bernardino Line, Riverside Line, Inland Empire/Orange County Line, and Perris Valley/91 Line, 2013-2022
Bus ridership dipped to a 10-year low in 2020/21 due to the pandemic, with 5.73 million riders collectively on the bus systems serving San Bernardino County. Since then, ridership rose to 6.95 million riders in 2021/22, which remains substantially lower than the 10-year high of 19.08 million riders in 2012/13. Prior to the pandemic, ridership had been decreasing steadily for most systems serving the county. In the year following the pandemic-induced low, Mountain Area Regional Transit Agency experienced the greatest increase in ridership in 2021/22 (up 435%), followed by Omnitrans (up 27%). Victor Valley Transit Authority ridership continued to decline into 2021/22, falling 24% since 2020/21. On a per capita basis, Omnitrans ridership fell from 10.7 trips per capita in 2012 to 2.6 in 2021 (a 75% decline). Per capita ridership on Victor Valley Transit fell 69% over the same period, from 5.3 trips per capita to 1.6 in 2019. Further, the availability of qualified bus operators has stifled the ability to increase service levels post-pandemic.
BUS RIDERSHIP BEGINS TO RECOVER, BUT REMAINS BELOW PRE-PANDEMIC LEVELS
Bus Ridership in San Bernardino County, 2013-2022
GEOGRAPHIC COMPARISON
Transit agencies serving San Bernardino County residents, including Omnitrans, Victor Valley Transit Authority (VVTA), Riverside Transit Agency, and SunLine Transit Agency, have substantially fewer bus boardings per capita than their peer markets, including transit agencies serving Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and Phoenix. VVTA posted the highest operating costs per bus trip at $35.31 in 2021, which is over three times higher than in 2019 before the pandemic. The transit agency serving Phoenix had the lowest cost per bus trip at $4.68 in 2021. Omnitrans operating costs per trip was the third highest among the 10 agencies compared, and in 2021 was more than twice as costly per trip than in 2019.
MORE RIDERSHIP GENERALLY ALIGNS WITH LOWER PER TRIP OPERATING COSTS
Regional Comparison of Bus System Boardings per Capita and Operating Costs, 2021