Public Transit Numbers Surge...So Why Is BART Worried?

CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA — Bay Area trains, ferries and buses saw a surge in ridership during the first three months of the year, which reverberated across the region, according to transit officials.

The nine transportation agencies that reported gains handled 3.2 million more trips from January through March compared with the same period in 2024.

Larger systems also saw significant ridership growth in the first three months of the year, according to the report.

BART ridership was up almost 6.5 percent from 2024, while Muni increased by 4 percent.

Caltrain led the charge with a 50 percent ridership increase over the first three months of 2025.

The growth in ridership coincided with campaigns to improve rider experiences by boosting safety, cleanliness, and reliability, BART General Manager Bob Powers said in a statement.

BART and other agencies will be offering swag and face-to-face time with agency officials this week to celebrate and convince riders to continue the rebound.

Emergency post-covid funding is running out and until state and federal budgets are settled, so is future local funding for the agencies. Ultimately riders, especially commuters without alternatives, will feel the effect.

But cars remain popular among commuters. Drivers in Sonoma and Marin where longer commuter lane hours, intended to give drivers an incentive to carpool or take public transit, sparked a Change.org petition and letter campaigns.