In June 2025, LA Metro experienced a steep decline in ridership, with approximately 6% fewer bus and train riders compared to the same period last year.
This drop coincided with an increase in federal immigration enforcement, ongoing anti-ICE protests, and a weeklong curfew imposed in downtown Los Angeles.
According to an analysis by LAist, June 2025 logged the lowest number of riders since February, a concerning trend looking at the ridership data collected monthly since January 2024.
Metro attributes the decline in ridership to multiple factors, including the significant 70-day closure of the D Line, which is set to conclude later this month.
In a broader context, June saw a more pronounced decrease where ridership fell by over 13%, translating to approximately 3.7 million trips less compared to May, prior to the heightened immigration enforcement.
Typically, reductions in ridership from May to June could be linked to seasonal changes, shifts in daily routines, or the end of the school year, as outlined by Metro.
Notably, there was also a decrease between these months last year, but the downturn this year proved to be steeper at around 6%.
LAist’s analysis highlighted a consistent decline in popular bus routes that have maintained the highest ridership from January 2024 to June 2025.
Among these, routes 16, 18, 51, and 70 experienced around a 10% decrease in ridership compared to June 2024.
These specific routes were notably re-routed during recent anti-ICE protests in downtown Los Angeles, which likely contributed to the drop.
The C Line, which connects riders from Norwalk to the newly established LAX Metro Transit Center, recorded the most significant decline in train ridership, falling by 26% or nearly 150,000 trips from June 2024 to June 2025.
In a notable contrast, the K Line saw a remarkable surge in ridership, more than doubling over the year.
Metro officials indicated this explosion in ridership is largely attributed to the recent opening of the LAX Metro Transit Center, which enhances access to the airport while expanding connectivity for K Line passengers across the Metro system.
Specifically, June 2025 experienced a 35% increase in K Line riders compared to the month prior.
Regarding immigration enforcement, reports indicated that while there were no confirmed incidents of immigration officers boarding Metro vehicles, questions about patron immigration status were raised at the El Monte train station.
Officials at Metro confirmed the presence of ICE officers at the Metro Harbor Gateway Station on July 1, explaining it was connected to enforcement activities around a nearby Home Depot.
Following these concerns, the Metro Board directed adjustments to protocols for station closures amid protests, especially after claims from former chair and L.A. County Supervisor Janice Hahn that some passengers were left stranded.
Additionally, there was at least one case in Orange County involving an ICE agent boarding a bus on July 10, although no arrests were made during the incident.
It’s important to note the limitations of analyzing ridership purely by route, as these numbers do not provide a complete picture.
The declines might have occurred at particular stops instead of uniformly along the entire route, prompting LAist’s request for more detailed data showing boardings by stop, which is not available online from the Metro transportation agency.
image source from：laist
