Muni’s Weekend Ridership Passed Pre-Pandemic Levels for the First Time
Muni’s weekend ridership has passed pre-pandemic levels for the first time since 2020. In figures released July 1, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency said weekend ridership reached 100.5% of 2019 levels in May 2026, a milestone in the system’s recovery.
The Numbers
The May 2026 report, published by the SFMTA, put total ridership at 81% of pre-pandemic levels. Average weekday systemwide boardings reached 538,000, the third-highest weekday figure since the pandemic began. Muni Metro light rail averaged 126,000 weekday trips, a post-pandemic record, and downtown rail boardings rose almost 14% from May 2025.
The agency credited its high-ridership bus lines for carrying the recovery so far, with returning rail passengers now adding to it. A 2026 customer satisfaction survey found that 48% of riders take Muni for leisure trips, the same share as those commuting to work.
Reliability Gains
The SFMTA tied the growth to service investments. Delay events in the Market Street Subway have dropped about 60% since May 2019, and service on Muni Forward corridors runs up to 35% faster and 51% more reliably. New Siemens LRV4 light rail vehicles and the agency’s Fix-It! Week maintenance program are part of the same effort.
“San Franciscans rely on public transit every day,” Mayor Daniel Lurie said in the announcement, pointing to weekday rail ridership at its highest since the pandemic. San Francisco Transit Riders, an advocacy group, noted that the growth has concentrated downtown and in neighborhoods including the Western Addition and the Castro, as reported by Local News Matters.
What It Means for Visitors
Weekend Muni trips are busier than they were before 2020, and leisure travel now accounts for about half of all rides. For getting around on weekends, allow extra time on popular Metro lines and cable cars, and check real-time arrivals on the SFMTA site. For ideas on where to go, see our guide to things to do in San Francisco this month.
Sources: SFMTA, Local News Matters.
Photo: 9yz, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
