Metro ridership in June experienced a decline of 6% compared to the same month last year due to the federal law enforcement activity across the region, the transit agency reported Friday.
Metro saw a 10-15% decline in ridership across its system, citing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations that began early June that sparked protests against such activity in the region. Over the course of the month, Metro noted ridership improved and the agency recorded a total 23,751,589 boardings on bus and rails.
Bus ridership declined by 5.9% and rail dropped by 6.5% in June.
Additionally, the agency noted that other factors can influence ridership patterns, adding that ongoing construction of the D (Purple) Line is changing customers’ daily routines as they travel from home to work or summer school, and other destinations. The first phase of the D Line extension project is expected to open later this year, which aims to connect the rail system to more areas of West Los Angeles.
While overall ridership on the bus and rail system dropped, the agency touted a major year-over-year-ridership increase on the K Line. Ridership on the light rail was up by 139.5% on weekdays, 198.9% on Saturdays and 214.9% on Sundays, which Metro noted was likely caused by the opening of the LAX/Metro Transit Station.
The new station opened on June 6. It offers a connection to the Los Angeles International Airport, and runs continuously from the Expo/Crenshaw Station to Redondo Beach.
Total monthly ridership on the Metro K Line in June was 26.8% higher compared to November 2024, the second highest monthly total ridership in the line’s history, according to the transit agency.
The customer experience on Metro continues to improve, as well. The transit agency noted that 87% of customers reported feeling satisfied or very satisfied with its service, citing results from a February 2025 rider survey. Additionally, the results showed that 53% of riders said they had seen improvements over past years, notably to service quality and safety.
Violent crime declined 28.9% per one million boardings year-over-year and is now at the lowest levels since May 2019, Metro reported. The agency said this result is due to the increase of visible presence of uniformed personnel on the system, and increasing partnerships with local government and community agencies to tackle homelessness, untreated mental illness and drug addiction.
Metro highlighted how it continues to see a decrease in operator assault severity thanks to its bus barriers. Several initiatives such as taller fare gates and weapons detection technology are also contributing to improvements in safety on the system.
The agency noted that faregates are “contributing significantly” to higher paid entries. In June, the LAX/Metro Transit Center faregates validated more entries than all other K Line stations combined.
Metro is expected to retrofit the Santa Monica/Vermont and Wilshire/Vermont stations with new faregates before the end of the month.