Metro Transit ridership up 6% in 2024, crime down 6%
MINNEAPOLIS — For the third year in a row, ridership has grown on Metro Transit, and officials hope that Twin Cities area residents will continue to use public transportation especially as ticket prices dropped in the beginning of the year.
In 2024, Metro Transit offered 47.5 million rides, a 6% increase from the year before. The vast majority of the rides were taken on city buses, while bus rapid transit lines like the A Line, Orange Line and Red Line saw increased ridership of 14%.
Students at the University of Minnesota and other colleges took nearly 2.8 million rides — a 33% increase from 2023 — using their university pass, which allows students to ride for free at no direct cost.
Last year, officials said they were tracking ways to curb crime, as light rail crime was up 25% year-over-year from 2022 to 2023. In 2024, the rise in ridership corresponded with a 6% drop in reported crime, officials said. Of the 7,402 crimes reported in 2024, 1,127 involved smoking, which officials say they are proactively addressing.
Starting Jan. 1, Metro Transit lowered its fares: full-priced adult fares on non-express bus routes and the light rail are $2 a day. For young people, seniors and Medicare recipients, the price is $1.
"Transit connects people, strengthens communities, and improves lives, so it's encouraging to see our reach and impact continue to grow across the region," General Manager Lesley Kandaras said.
