People hop aboard a T Third train headed toward Chinatown.
May ridership numbers are in, and we have great news! Our weekend ridership numbers are higher than they were in 2019 before the pandemic.
Ridership by the numbers
In May 2026, Muni ridership reached impressive heights.
- 100.5% weekend recovery. This is the first time ridership has surpassed pre-pandemic levels.
- 81% total pre-pandemic recovery.
- 538,000 average weekday systemwide boardings for the third-highest weekday ridership since the pandemic.
- A post-pandemic record of 126,000 average weekday Muni Metro Light Rail trips.
Muni keeps moving
Transit-only lanes are dedicated for Muni vehicles and other buses. These lanes keep buses from getting stuck in traffic.
Our Muni Forward program, Fix-It! Week maintenance program and the new light rail fleet help us provide faster and more reliable service.
- Thanks to more than 100 miles of transit-only lanes, service is up to 35% faster and 51% more reliable on Muni Forward routes and lines.
- Fix -It! Week allows crews to fix and improve our subways and helps prevent delays or breakdowns. Market Street subway delays have dropped by about 60% compared to May 2019.
The road ahead
Over the last few years, Muni has become faster, safer, cleaner and more reliable. Our investments are paying off, but time is running out.
One-time pandemic relief funding is gone. Now, we face a budget deficit of $307 million that will grow to $439 million by 2030.
We have made significant progress on cutting our expenses. From 2020 to 2025, we saved about $250 million in operating costs and $389 million in capital spending. We did this by reducing our workforce, redesigning service and scaling back capital investments.
Despite this progress, we need more funding to keep Muni service running.
Without new revenue, we would be forced to reduce Muni service, and cut street safety programs and mobility support for the city’s most vulnerable residents. More details about our funding crisis and potential sources of revenue can be found on our budget information webpage (SFMTA.com/BudgetGap).
San Franciscans are on the move
San Franciscans are on the move, and Muni keeps them moving.
San Francisco needs a world-class transit system. It is essential in a city as vibrant and densely populated as ours.
Throughout May we saw ridership growth in and around Downtown. The largest gains were in the Financial District, SoMa, Western Addition, Castro/Upper Market and Downtown/Civic Center.
San Francisco residents and visitors alike have been hopping on board. And they’re seeing why Muni reached its highest customer satisfaction rating ever.
To keep up to date on ridership numbers, visit our Muni data dashboards (SFMTA.com/MuniData).