Muni ridership set records last month – including on the T Third.
On the average weekday in September, more than half a million people rode Muni. This is the highest average weekday ridership since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, and a major milestone.
We saw 521,000 average weekday trips in September. That’s 37,000 more daily riders than in September 2023.
Systemwide in September, we saw:
- Weekday ridership reach 74% of 2019 levels, the highest since the pandemic started
- Weekend ridership reach 92% of pre-pandemic levels
- Overall ridership reach 78% of pre-pandemic levels
- 13.9 million total boardings in the month, almost 1 million more than September 2023
“Month over month and year over year, our investments in improving Muni service are paying off,” said Julie Kirschbaum, SFMTA director of transit. “And more people are riding Muni, they’re enjoying faster buses, shorter wait times and more reliable service.”
We listened to you, our customers, and set ourselves the goals to make Muni fast, frequent, reliable, clean and safe.
Those investments are paying off not just in how many people ride Muni, but in how they feel about it. Our latest customer survey shows the highest satisfaction Muni has ever recorded.
We’re investing to make Muni faster, safer, cleaner and more reliable.
The story behind the numbers
And while we are proud of passing the half-million milestone, averages don’t tell the full story. And the story of our recovery from the pandemic gets pretty interesting.
It’s not news that the Covid-19 pandemic changed the way people work and get around. San Francisco has among the highest rates of remote work in the country, and we’re adapting our service to new travel patterns.
While boardings at our downtown Muni metro stations remain well below pre-pandemic levels, many routes that also connect neighborhoods have more riders than ever before.
Some of these routes are among the “most recovered” transit routes in the U.S. Take a look at the average weekday ridership in September for some of these routes compared with before the pandemic:
- 49 Van Ness: 143% recovered
- 22 Fillmore: 122% recovered
- 14 Rapid Mission: 115% recovered
- 9 San Bruno: 120% recovered
- 19 Polk: 110% recovered
- 12 Folsom/Pacific: 106% recovered
These routes connect neighborhoods and communities. They take people where they want to go for shopping, social visits and medical appointments. They help riders get to parks and restaurants – all the things we do outside of working in an office.
“Although we continue to support downtown’s recovery, Muni today is far better at connecting neighborhoods across our city than in years past, at least in the 30 years I’ve been a regular Muni rider” said Jeffrey Tumlin, SFMTA director of transportation. “With dozens of miles of transit lanes, more reliable buses and trains, and new investments in safety and cleanliness, Muni isn’t just back – it’s better.”
Efficiency Gains
The Van Ness Bus Rapid Transit project recently was recognized for its success.
Another reason for these routes’ success is the investment we’ve made in their efficiency. The 49 Van Ness is now a Bus Rapid Transit line for part of its run. Buses can sail through traffic to make your trips faster and more reliable.
This has allowed us to decrease travel times on this critical north-south route by 36%. The Institute for Transportation and Development Policy recently awarded the Van Ness BRT its Silver award, one of only three BRTs in the U.S. to be so recognized.
We’ve also made routes more efficient with the installation of transit-only lanes throughout the city. Other improvements include transit-priority signals and installations, like bus bulbs and boarding islands. These upgrades make bus travel faster and safer.
People increasingly choose Muni to get to events around the city.
Muni to events
Another detail concealed in our average ridership numbers is the number of people who took Muni to September events in San Francisco.
Eventgoers flocked to Muni to enjoy the Portola Music Festival and Haight Ashbury Street Fair, proving again that Muni is the best – and most cost-effective – way to get to city happenings. Several events led to Muni breaking other post-pandemic ridership records for certain days in the month.
Ridership on the T Third and 15 Bayview Hunters Point Express reached their highest ridership for the year during the Portola Music Festival on Sept. 28-29. And the 7 Haight Noriega and 6 Haight Parnassus similarly saw their highest daily ridership for the year so far during the Sept. 15 Haight Ashbury Street Fair.
“Five years ago, I would never have thought of transferring from one bus line to another to get where I want to go,” Tumlin said. “Now, I know the transfer is always quick,” he said, adding, “Muni connects us to everything San Francisco has to offer, and what we have to offer is better than ever.”