VTA ranked in the top 5 among the nation’s largest transit agencies in ridership growth last year, welcoming some 25-million riders aboard buses and light rail trains last year.  The rankings are reported by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA.) The growth is a huge rebound toward reaching the full levels of ridership seen before the Covid pandemic began in early 2020.

VTA bus ridership increased by 22% in 2023, to 21.4 million riders, above the nation’s average increase of 18%.  VTA light rail ridership increased 25% in 2023 over the year before with 4.5 million riders. The national average for light rail growth was 15% in 2023.

“This is significant, most importantly because our passengers are benefiting from the public transportation they rely on, but it tells us we’re making the right decisions about how we design and operate our service,” said Service Planning Manger Jay Tyree.

VTA overhauled its transit service plan to create a network of frequent bus and rail routes to the most transit-supportive areas of the county, rolling out the new service in December of 2019, just three months before the pandemic brought most public transit to drastically low service and ridership levels.  Now that people are starting to settle into their normal lives, ridership is heading in the direction when the new service plan was first introduced, with more frequent service along higher ridership routes, including the 522 Rapid along Alum Rock Ave and El Camino Real highway, and several other routes.

View the full list of APTA statistics.