Expo Line Ridership Increases More Than Half Since Expansion from Culver City to Santa Monica

LOS ANGELES, CA - Average weekday ridership on the Metro Expo Line jumped about 58 percent in June, the first full month the line offered service to Santa Monica, compared to April, while Sunday ridership more than doubled, according to figures released Monday.

The Expo Line extension from Culver City to Santa Monica opened on May 20.

According to figures released by Metro, average weekday ridership on the line in April — the last full month without Santa Monica service — was 29,047. Last month, average weekday ridership was 45,876. Sunday ridership jumped from an average of 15,965 in April to 35,995 in June, likely a sign that residents took advantage of the line to reach the beach during last month's heat wave.

Saturday ridership increased from an average of 21,945 in April to 34,844 in June.

The jump in business on the Expo Line helped propel an overall increase in ridership between April and June on Metro rail lines. Despite the increased popularity of the Expo Line, the Blue Line between downtown Los Angeles and Long Beach continues to be Metro's busiest route. Average weekday ridership on the Blue Line last month was 83,426. The average was 52,095 on Saturdays and 40,167 on Sundays.

Overall ridership on the Metro system, including both rail and bus lines, was down in June compared to the previous month. Average weekday ridership for the overall system was 1,308,379, down from 1,336,491 in May.

— City News Service, photo courtesy of Metro L.A.