At a recent annual LA Metro State of the Agency event, incoming Board Chair Fernando Dutra, LA County Supervisor and former Metro Board Chair Janice Hahn, and metro CEO Stephanie Wiggins addressed agency progress toward goals in the last fiscal year (2025) and revealed goals for the current fiscal year.

“I’ve learned a lot serving as chair of the [LA] metro board this past year, both on the dais and by riding the system regularly myself. I’m proud of the progress we’ve made in making the metro safer for our riders and operators and of our ability to face the challenges that came our way,” Hahn said.

Hahn passed the gavel to Dutra at the end of the event. The board chair serves a one-year term from July 1 to June 30, and the position typically rotates between the Los Angeles mayor, a county supervisor, and a City Selection Committee member.

“We’ve laid a strong foundation for a world-class system that’s safer, more reliable, and ready for whatever comes next. I’m thankful to my colleagues on the board and to all of the metro’s employees for the work they do to keep LA County moving every day,” Hahn said.

LA Metro Crime Drops to Lowest Since 2019 Amid Safety Overhaul

At the event, safety and security initiatives were addressed, with violent crime in May 2025 dropping 28.9 % per 1 million boardings year-over-year and is now at the lowest levels since May 2019. This comes after the agency increased the visible presence of engaged uniformed personnel on the system to ensure the system is only being used for transit.

Plus, increased partnerships with city, county and community agencies helped to address  societal issues, such as homelessness, untreated mental illness, and drug addiction.

Last December, LA Metro retrofitted its entire  active bus fleet with fully enclosed operator barriers, resulting in a 66% decrease in operator assaults in the first three months compared to that time period the previous year.

Other key safety and security initiatives advanced in FY 2025 include an expansion of Metro’s weapons detection pilot program, the successful Tap-to-Exit pilot program, the installation of taller fare gates and the roll out of an enhanced Transit Watch 3.0 app.

Riders Report 87% Satisfaction as Service and Safety Improve

The LA Metro customer experience continues to improve with results from a February 2025 rider survey showing 87% of customers are satisfied or very satisfied with the service.

In that survey, 53% of riders said they had seen improvements to the transit system over the past year, with improving service quality and safety as the top reasons cited for the improvement.

In addition to improving the customer experience, the agency recently celebrated the following: 

• Opened the LAX/Metro Transit Center, connecting two rail lines and 14 bus lines to the LAX Airport.

• Opened the Rail-to-Rail Active Transportation Corridor in South LA, which transformed blighted railroad tracks into a 5.5-mile bike and pedestrian path, with easy access to the A, J, and K Lines.

• Opened more bus lanes.

LA Metro Secures $893M Grant and Pushes Ahead on Transit Corridor Projects

LA Metro broke ground on the G Line Improvements Project and the I-105 ExpressLanes Project. It also attained approval of an $893 million federal grant for the East San Fernando Valley Light Rail project and the advancement of the Southeast Gateway Line and Vermont Transit Corridor projects.

In June, the agency released the draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) for a critical public infrastructure project, the Sepulveda Transit Corridor project, beginning the public comment period.

“I am committed to building on the momentum and the public trust created by [LA] Metro’s recent safety, equity, and customer service initiatives,” Dutra said. “I’m equally committed to ensuring we are prepared to keep moving forward on our major projects, including the A Line to Pomona, the D Line Extension, Southeast Gateway Line, the 105 Express Lanes, and our highway safety projects.”

“And as we move forward on these critical projects, we need to make sure that locally based companies in engineering, architecture, and the many professional services that make this work possible aren’t just invited to the table – they deserve a real stake in the success of these efforts, including local jobs, local expertise, and local opportunity,” Dutra added.

New Trains to Mobile Apps, LA Metro Pushes Forward Rider-Focused Upgrades

LA Metro’s transit infrastructure plan continues to advance as the agency looks to deliver more generational projects in the coming months, including the Metro A Line extension to Pomona and the first section of the Metro D Line subway extension beneath Wilshire Boulevard to the Westside.

In addition to adding more service, the agency is focused on improving the customer experience through new open gangway trains on the subway, new, easier ways to pay, and the development of a consolidated mobile app.

“As we advance in our preparations to provide world-class service to riders during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the Super Bowl in 2027, and the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, [LA] Metro is also leveraging these opportunities to make once-in-a-lifetime investments in the city’s transit infrastructure that will benefit Angelenos for generations to come,” Wiggins said.

“We want to make transit in LA better for everyone. This is the work we will embark on in the next fiscal year: charging forward as one Metro with one goal – to be Angelenos’ first choice for transportation,” Wiggins added.