What factors contributed to the record-breaking trolley ridership?

The record-breaking ridership is attributed to the region's growing reliance on fast, frequent, and reliable public transit, along with investments in service, safety, and customer experience made by MTS.

How does the increased ridership reflect on San Diego's public transit system?

The increased ridership reflects the vital role public transit plays in San Diego's mobility, showing that more people are choosing the Trolley for various purposes such as commuting to work and attending events.

What statement did Stephen Whitburn make regarding the ridership milestone?

Stephen Whitburn, MTS board chair, stated that the record-breaking ridership highlights the growing reliance on public transit and demonstrates the important role it plays in keeping San Diego moving.

How has MTS ridership been growing since the pandemic?

MTS ridership has been recovering since the pandemic, with annual ridership surpassing 80 million in Fiscal Year 2025, aided by investments in service, safety, and customer experience.

San Diego MTS Breaks Monthly Trolley Ridership Record

Agency officials said July’s ridership indicates MTS’s continued recovery from the pandemic.

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September 15, 2026

A San Diego MTS Copper Line vehicle — In July 2026, San Diego MTS Trolley ridership surpassed the previous two Julys, which recorded approximately 3.87 million and 3.92 million Trolley trips, respectively.
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San Diego MTS

2 min to read

San Diego MTS's Trolley system achieved a record 4.1 million passenger trips in a month, surpassing four million for the first time in the agency's history.
The milestone highlights the increasing reliance on the Trolley for transportation to work, school, and events, underscoring its importance in regional mobility.
MTS's recovery from the pandemic is evident, with significant investments leading to over 80 million annual passenger trips in Fiscal Year 2025 for the first time since pre-pandemic levels.

*Summarized by AI

Strong rider demand, frequent service, and expanded service for major events helped San Diego MTS set a new ridership record in July 2026.

MTS recorded 4.1 million passenger trips on its Trolley system during the month, marking the first time in agency history that monthly Trolley ridership surpassed four million trips.

“Record-breaking ridership reflects the region's growing reliance on fast, frequent, and reliable public transit,” said Stephen Whitburn, MTS board chair. “More people are choosing the Trolley to get to work, school, sporting events and major destinations throughout the region. This milestone demonstrates the vital role public transit plays in keeping San Diego moving.”

Continuing Ridership Growth

Agency officials said July’s ridership indicates MTS’s continued recovery from the pandemic. Since then, MTS has rebuilt ridership through investments in service, safety, and customer experience, helping position the agency among the nation’s strongest-performing systems.

In Fiscal Year 2025, MTS ridership surpassed 80 million annual passenger trips for the first time since before the pandemic, marking more than 95% of its pre-pandemic ridership. Ridership continued to grow in Fiscal Year 2026, reaching 81.2 million passenger trips.

“This achievement reflects years of work to make transit a more attractive option for people across our region,” said MTS CEO Sharon Cooney.

The Trolley system's growth reflects increased service frequency, major regional events, population and employment growth along transit corridors, continued demand for affordable transportation options, and the UC San Diego Blue Line extension to La Jolla and University Town Center.

The UC San Diego Blue Line recorded the most ridership in July with more than 2.36 million passenger trips, followed by the Green Line with 971,266 trips and the Orange Line with 587,174 trips.

The record-setting total also includes 132,315 trips taken on the Special Event Line during Comic-Con. Even without Comic-Con ridership, Trolley ridership totaled 3,973,288 trips, making July the highest ridership month on record for MTS’s Trolley system, the agency reported. The previous Trolley monthly record was 3,938,761 trips in October 2024.

Better than Previous Julys

July 2026 Trolley ridership surpassed the previous two Julys, which recorded approximately 3.87 million and 3.92 million Trolley trips, respectively.

Additionally, MTS buses recorded 3,082,492 passenger trips in July.

Quick Answers

San Diego MTS achieved a milestone by recording 4.1 million passenger trips on its Trolley system in a single month, the first time it has surpassed four million in monthly ridership.