The South Florida Regional Transportation Authority (SFRTA) reported Tri-Rail trains averaged more than 12,000 weekday riders in the month of January 2023, an increase of 30 percent and close to 3,000 more daily passengers than January 2022. Weekend ridership averaged over 6,000 in January 2023, also a 30 percent increase from one year ago.
“Between passengers that are returning to their regular commute to avoid the traffic on I-95, and new passengers that have figured out the benefits of this great system, we are happy to see a continued growth in ridership,” said David Dech, SFRTA executive director. “My belief is Tri-Rail will continue this upward trend as passengers share their experience with their friends and families and convince them to give it a try.”
Tri-Rail surpassed 12,000 rides just weeks after Dech’s start as executive director in August 2022 and reached 13,000 passengers several days in January 2023, totaling over 320,000 in the month, the highest seen since February 2020.
Convenient connections with the Miami International Airport, Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport and Palm Beach International Airport play a significant role in the system’s ridership increase, as the connecting Tri-Rail stations are among the top ridership drivers even during off-season travel months. The Boca Raton Station is also among the top 5 highest ridership stations, offering convenient access to office parks, universities and shopping centers.
“We take pride in providing a dependable commuter rail service the public can rely on to get them where they need to go, and we will continue to look for ways to improve upon the service that we deliver,” Dech said.
The SFRTA Governing Board recently approved an expansion of first-mile/last-mile services to be expanded at all Tri-Rail stations, including pursuing a scooter/bike sharing program, in the effort to facilitate better access to the train service for the public. An update on Tri-Rail’s Ride Partner services is being prepared for the spring of 2023.
