Less than three years after its grand opening, ridership on the Metro Transit Green Line has soared past expectations, with its average weekday ridership of 39,386 falling just shy of the weekday ridership of 41,000 projected for 2030 and 12.7 million rides for the year. The Green Line’s immense success is consistent with a greater trend of increased demand for public transit, as Metro Transit’s 2016 ridership exceeded 80 million unique rides for the sixth consecutive year.
Some of the growth is certainly a result of the significant destinations situated in the Green Line corridor, including colleges, health care centers, and a number of local businesses such as restaurants and retailers. As investment in the Green Line continues to grow, particularly with the planned extension, ridership and further investment along the corridor are expected to increase as well.
Photo courtesy of metrotransit.org.