Transportation leaders encouraged San Diegans to take advantage of Free Ride Day Wednesday, with all Metropolitan Transit System and North County Transit District options free for the entire day.
"Free Ride Day is a great opportunity to experience how easy, affordable and convenient it is to get around San Diego by transit," MTS Board Chair and San Diego City Councilman Stephen Whitburn said. "Transit doesn't just save money and reduce traffic -- it's one of the most impactful ways we can fight climate change and improve our region's air quality."
Last year, more than 340,000 people took public transit on Free Ride Day, a double-digit increase in ridership numbers for both the MTS and NCTD.
The MTS saw an increase of 15.4% in ridership compared to the previous week. It represented the most single-day riders and the first time more than 300,000 riders were recorded since the COVID-19 pandemic began.
The NCTD also saw gains in ridership, with a 28% increase over the previous week and also the most daily riders on Coaster since the pandemic.
Now in its sixth year, Free Ride Day is also part of California Clean Air Day, which encourages people across the state to make small changes to improve environmental health.