Orca transit ridership surges past 150M trips

SEATTLE - Transit ridership in the Puget Sound region jumped in 2024, delivering millions more trips than the prior year.

By the numbers:

ORCA reports 17 million more rides were taken last year than in 2023. There was a total of 151 million trips.

Compared to the 134 million trips in 2023, this represents a 12% increase in ridership.

King County Metro says increased use of public transit will be more important than ever in the near future, citing the increased traffic in the region as Amazon and other business giants issue return to work orders for Washingtonians.

ORCA ridership increases

Alongside business traffic, the incoming 2025 Club World Cup and 2026 World Cup will increase demand on the roadway for private and commercial vehicles. All of this together emphasizes the need for continued strong transit ridership, according to Metro.

"Additionally, the Washington State Department of Transportation will be making major improvements to Interstate 5, with resulting changes, closures and detours also affecting alternate routes and side streets."

What's next:

"With the opening of the Northgate and Lynnwood light rail extensions, more and more people have discovered just how convenient transit is to get to entertainment, sporting events and work. As we extend across Lake Washington and south to Federal Way in the near future, we know that even more riders will be using light rail to enjoy everything our region has to offer," said Sound Transit CEO Goran Sparrman.

Sound Transit is also working on a West Seattle light rail extension.

The Source: Information for this article comes from King County Metro.