Subway ridership surges as gas prices cripple SoCal but service cuts are coming

Gas prices soaring past $6.20 a gallon have Southern California commuters abandoning jammed freeways for bustling trains, as more residents trade their cars to escape the relentless cost of fuel.

For many Angelenos, the price at the pump has made daily driving financially unbearable.

With gas prices crippling daily budgets, Metrolink and other transit systems are seeing a noticeable surge in ridership as commuters search for cheaper alternatives.

“There’s been a huge influx in the people on the trains,” commuter Autumn Beno-Morris told ABC7.

Beno-Morris, who travels more than 70 miles each way into downtown Los Angeles, said driving is no longer financially sustainable.

“Right now, there is no way I could afford to drive into the city every day. I commute over 70 miles each way, and with the prices of gas, it’s impossible for me to keep up with that,” she said.

Metrolink officials noted that ridership jumped almost overnight as fuel prices shot up.

“There’s a cost-prohibitive nature to driving right now,” said Meredith Yeoman, the agency’s director of communications.

According to Yeoman, Metrolink recorded a 4% jump in ridership as gas prices surged.

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority also reported growing demand, with March ridership rising more than 8% compared with March 2024.

The numbers reflect the long distances many Southern Californians travel, with the average Metrolink rider commuting 36 miles each way — or roughly 72 miles round-trip daily.

“You think about that in round-trip terms, at 72 miles in a day, the average car probably gets 25 miles to the gallon, so you’re talking three gallons right there,” Yeoman explained to the outlet.

With today’s gas prices, that daily drive can drain about $18 from a commuter’s wallet just in fuel.

By comparison, Metrolink’s $15 day pass offers immediate savings, with LA Zone riders enjoying even lower fares.

Tickets also unlock free transfers to Metro bus and rail services, helping ease transportation costs even further.

For Beno-Morris, the draw is about more than just saving money.

“On the trains, especially, I have the flexibility to work, check out if I want to watch a show, read a book. In my car, I’m literally stuck in the gridlock,” she said.

But this wave of convenience comes with an unexpected snag.

Even as more riders flock to public transit, Metrolink’s temporary weekday service reductions are now expected to remain in place indefinitely amid a roughly $30 million budget shortfall, reported Secret Los Angeles.

Now, officials are weighing deeper service cuts and looming fare hikes, putting commuters in a bind with fewer trains and steeper costs just as demand reaches new heights.