ST Express service decreased slightly, while Tacoma Link ridership was negatively affected by the closure of the Tacoma Dome for renovations last summer.
Sound Transit
1 min to read
ST Express service decreased slightly, while Tacoma Link ridership was negatively affected by the closure of the Tacoma Dome for renovations last summer.
Sound Transit
In 2018, Sound Transit continued to see significant growth in rail ridership, as Link light rail ridership increased 6.1% over 2017 and Sounder ridership increased 4.5%.
“Our steady ridership growth further confirms the urgency of the light rail, commuter rail and bus rapid transit expansions our region’s voters approved,” said Sound Transit CEO Peter Rogoff. “These gains benefit all commuters and will keep coming as more people seize the opportunity to escape congestion and as light rail reaches Northgate in 2021, the Eastside in 2023, and Lynnwood and Federal Way in 2024.”
According to the most recent data available from the American Public Transportation Association, transit ridership nationally declined 1.75% in the third quarter of 2018 compared to the same quarter 2017, with light rail ridership dropping more than 3.5%.
Overall, Sound Transit ridership for 2018 grew 2.9% to more than 48 million riders. ST Express service decreased slightly, while Tacoma Link ridership was negatively affected by the closure of the Tacoma Dome for renovations last summer.
The new center serves as the central hub for monitoring and managing PATCO train operations, communications, customer service coordination, incident response, and overall operational oversight across the transit system.
Despite these pressures, VIA Rail is reporting that total revenues increased to $514.8 million as more travelers took advantage of the wide range of options available through the corporation’s new reservation system.
Created in partnership with Walsh-VINCI Transit Community Partners, the contractor for CTA’s historic $5.7 billion RLE project, the new $250,000 scholarship program will provide three students a year from 2026 to 2030 with $3,000 scholarships.
Operation Lifesaver awarded $220,200 in grants to 12 states to support rail safety campaigns focused on grade crossing awareness and trespass prevention.
The survey showed that commute trips still make up the majority of ridership, with most riders boarding 2 to 3 days a week, reflecting hybrid work schedules. Two-thirds of Caltrain riders have access to a car, while 37% of Caltrain riders are considered low-income.
Advances in data and analytics are giving transit agencies new opportunities to refine maintenance practices, improve efficiency and make more informed decisions about asset performance.
