San Diego Metropolitan Transit System
San Diego, CA · NTD ID 90026 · 2024 report year
San Diego Metropolitan Transit System carries 75.7 million passenger trips a year across four modes — light rail, bus, demand response and commuter bus — making it the 14th-busiest transit operator in the United States. It is based in San Diego, CA.
It spends $382 million a year running that service, or $5.05 per trip. Its light rail service, the largest of its modes, costs $3.58 per rider — 69% below the $11.57 median for the 22 US agencies reporting light rail.
Over the 10 years reported, ridership remains 11% below its 2019 level, the last full year before the pandemic, and up 10% on 2023. Fares cover 19% of operating cost.
Service by mode, 2024
| Mode | Annual trips | Operating expense | Cost per rider | vs national median | Farebox | Vehicles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light Rail#2 of 22 nationally | 39,649,485 | $142 million | $3.58 | -69% | 21% | 114 |
| Bus#18 of 1,162 nationally | 35,613,514 | $220 million | $6.17 | -55% | 19% | 489 |
| Demand Response#74 of 1,920 nationally | 314,099 | $18.6 million | $59.31 | +56% | 8% | 207 |
| Commuter Bus#50 of 153 nationally | 105,696 | $1.9 million | $18.39 | -36% | 17% | 9 |
Ridership, 2015–2024
| Year | Annual trips | Operating expense (2024 $) | Cost per rider (2024 $) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 75,682,794 | $382 million | $5.05 |
| 2023 | 68,511,363 | $364 million | $5.31 |
| 2022 | 57,617,251 | $328 million | $5.70 |
| 2021 | 39,214,848 | $338 million | $8.61 |
| 2020 | 71,224,080 | $353 million | $4.96 |
| 2019 | 85,357,495 | $346 million | $4.05 |
| 2018 | 85,429,212 | $355 million | $4.16 |
| 2017 | 88,194,806 | $344 million | $3.90 |
| 2016 | 92,437,294 | $328 million | $3.55 |
| 2015 | 94,919,975 | $319 million | $3.36 |
Where San Diego Metropolitan Transit System ranks
- Cheapest Light Rail Systems by Cost per Rider #1 of 22
- Most Expensive Light Rail Systems by Cost per Rider #22 of 22
- Highest-Ridership Light Rail Systems #2 of 22
- Cheapest Bus Systems by Cost per Rider #12 of 40
- Highest-Ridership Bus Agencies #18 of 40
- Best Farebox Recovery Among Large Bus Systems #12 of 40
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Ask NTD about San Diego Metropolitan Transit System →Source & method. Figures are from the Federal Transit Administration's National Transit Database (NTD) annual reporting for 2024, the most recent published report year. Cost per rider is operating expense divided by unlinked passenger trips. Farebox recovery is fare revenue divided by operating expense. Ten-year trends are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; single-year figures are as reported. Agencies self-report to the NTD, and reporting practice varies, so figures are best read as comparable in magnitude rather than to the cent.