That’s the headline buried inside data economist Joey Politano pulled from the Federal Transit Administration’s National Transit Database this week. It’s the kind of number that should probably be bigger news than it is.

The FTA’s NTD collects monthly ridership data from transit agencies across the country, tracking what it calls “unlinked passenger trips,” the standard measure of how many times someone boards a vehicle. Politano compiled January through April 2026 numbers against the same period in 2025, and the trend line is unmistakable: ridership is up across the board among the ten largest urban rail systems in the United States. Check out the entire post on Bluesky.

San Francisco Is Having a Moment

The Bay Area is leading the way, and by a significant margin. Muni posted the highest growth of any system on the list, up more than 17% year over year. BART is right behind it at 15%. Two systems in the same metro, both surging at the same time. That’s not a coincidence. That’s a city coming back to its transit infrastructure.

The Caltrain chart adds important context here. After electrification was completed in late 2024, Caltrain ridership began climbing sharply off a post-pandemic floor. The Bay Area’s transit resurgence isn’t just one agency doing one thing right. It looks more like an ecosystem effect, where multiple systems working together more effectively make each of them more useful.

The Expansion Story

Two of the most compelling charts in Politano’s thread are Seattle and Kansas City, because they tell a specific kind of story: what happens when you actually build more transit.

Seattle’s Link Light Rail has been on an almost uninterrupted climb since opening in 2009, interrupted only by the pandemic collapse and quick recovery that every system went through. The chart is annotated with a series of expansion milestones: University District, Angle Lake, Northgate, the 2-Line opening, Lynnwood, Federal Way, and Redmond. Each corresponds to a visible step-up in ridership. The system is now approaching 45 million annual trips and climbing.

Kansas City’s streetcar tells a similar, smaller-scale version of the same story. After the Main Street extension opened and connected to the UMKC campus, monthly ridership nearly doubled. One expansion, immediate impact.

LA Metro’s chart is the most nuanced in the set. The system peaked at around 110 million annual trips in the mid-2010s, fell hard through the pandemic, and is now rebuilding through a wave of expansion: the K Line, the Regional Connector, the D Line Phase 1 extension (which you already know well as an opening day story in progress), and more projects queued up. The current ridership is running at roughly 70 million annually and trending upward. The network is larger now than it was at the 2015 peak. The riders are catching up to the infrastructure.

Phoenix: The Complicated Case

Valley Metro Rail is the most interesting outlier in the data. Politano’s chart shows the system growing steadily from its 2008 opening to a 2016 peak, then declining even before the pandemic arrived. Post-pandemic recovery has been slower than other cities. The B Line opening in South Phoenix is the most recent milestone, and the monthly annualized numbers are ticking back up, but the trend is choppier than in Seattle or San Francisco.

Phoenix is worth watching precisely because it complicates any simple narrative about transit success. It’s a system in a sprawling, car-oriented metro trying to build ridership through network expansion. The picture is mixed. That’s honest. It’s also an argument for continued investment rather than a reason to stop.

Why This Data Matters

The NTD numbers that Politano is working from aren’t flashy. They’re a federal spreadsheet that gets updated monthly and downloaded by a fairly small audience of analysts, planners, and transit nerds. Most people will never see it.

But the story inside it is straightforward: when cities build transit and run it well, people ride it. When they expand networks with real connections to where people want to go, ridership climbs. When electrification makes service faster and more frequent, ridership bounces back. The variables aren’t mysterious.

Transit ridership in America had a well-documented decade of decline before the pandemic, driven by underfunding, deteriorating service, and the rise of rideshare. The post-pandemic rebound has been uneven. But the 2026 data, at least through April, looks like something different from a rebound. It looks more like a new baseline being established, one in which the systems that invested in their networks are seeing returns.

All ten of the largest urban rail networks in the country are growing. That’s a data point worth pausing on.

A note on the data: The charts in this piece were created by economist Joey Politano using FTA National Transit Database figures. You can find the source data, including the monthly ridership spreadsheet updated through early 2026, at transit.dot.gov/ntd.

The post Every Major Rail Network in America Is Growing Right Now first appeared on Vector+Vista.

Get on the wrong train and realize it three stops later? Get off, cross to the other platform, take the train back. We’ve all done it, and will do it again. Getting it wrong isn’t the end of the world. It’s just part of learning the system.

Why Transit Exists

Public transit serves one fundamental purpose: moving more people to more places more efficiently than cars ever could.

Take New York City. The subway moves 3.4 million people on an average weekday. That’s 472 stations across 28 routes covering 665 miles of track. The system handles 2.04 billion trips per year for a city of 8 million people. That works out to about 255 trips per person per year, or roughly 5 trips per week.

Imagine moving 3.4 million people through Manhattan in cars every day. The traffic would be physically impossible. The parking would require demolishing half the city. Transit isn’t a backup plan. It’s the only plan that works at that scale.

The Learning Curve Is Short

Yes, transit maps look intimidating at first. The apps can be confusing. The signage might not make sense. You’ll probably take the wrong train at least once.

All of that is fine. Normal. Part of the process.

Here’s what actually happens: You use the system three or four times. You figure out how the lines connect. You learn which stations matter for your regular routes. Within a week, you’ve got it down.

The system has its quirks. Every city’s transit has little idiosyncrasies that only make sense once you’ve used it. But the basics are universal: find your line, check the direction, get on the train, count the stops.

It Works Everywhere

I live in Southern California. We’re famous for traffic, not transit. But did you know that until the 1930s, Los Angeles had one of the world’s most extensive transit systems? The Pacific Electric Red Car network covered the entire region.

We’re building it back. Slowly. The Metro has expanded dramatically over the last 30 years. Last year the A Line became the longest light rail line. This year, the D Line Subway opens a new extension. Metrolink connects the region.

Is it as comprehensive as New York or Chicago? No. But it exists. It works. And the more people use it, the better it gets.

Even smaller cities have transit. Quincy, Illinois, has four or five bus routes. Are the maps easy to read? Not particularly. But the system exists because people need it.

Try It Once

Next time you fly out of your local airport, take transit instead of driving.

Chicago? Take the “L” to O’Hare or Midway. Skipping I-90 alone is worth it.

Seattle? The Link Light Rail 1 Line goes straight to SeaTac from downtown. Forty minutes, $3.00, no parking fees, no I-5 traffic.

Los Angeles? Take Metrolink to Union Station, catch the LAX Flyaway.

Pick one trip. Low stakes. See how it goes.

You might discover what we all have. Getting it wrong is no big deal. The learning curve is shorter than you expected. Millions of people do this every day because it works.

Transit isn’t meant to be scary. It’s meant to be useful. The only way to find out if it works for you is to try it.

The post Your City Has a Transit System. Here’s Why You Should Use It. first appeared on Vector+Vista.

Next Wednesday, February 4, 2026, transit agencies across the United States will offer free rides to honor Rosa Parks’ birthday and the ongoing fight for transportation equity.

If you’ve been curious about car-free travel but haven’t taken the leap yet, this is your chance. No fare. No risk. Just hop on and explore.

The Day That Changed Everything

On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a Montgomery bus. Her arrest sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott—a 381-day protest that ultimately led to the Supreme Court declaring bus segregation unconstitutional.

Parks’ courage wasn’t just about a seat. It was about the fundamental right to move freely through your city. To get to work. To visit family. To participate in public life without discrimination.

Transit Equity Day, celebrated annually on Parks’ birthday, honors that legacy. But it’s also a reminder that the work continues. Access to reliable, affordable public transportation remains a civil rights issue—one that affects economic opportunity, environmental justice, and community connection.

A Nationwide Experiment in Free Transit

This year’s Transit Equity Day is shaping up to be one of the largest coordinated free transit days in U.S. history. Dozens of agencies—some covering entire regions—are waiving fares for the day.

Southern California alone is going nearly system-wide. From Ventura County to San Diego County, you can ride trains and buses across six counties without paying a dime. Maryland is offering statewide free transit across all its services. Denver, Sacramento, and the Bay Area are participating.

For those of us who believe in car-free travel, this is what possibility looks like at scale.

Try Something New

Here’s my suggestion: Pick a neighborhood you’ve never explored. Or that place you’ve been meaning to visit but parking seemed like a hassle. Or just ride a line to the end and see where it goes.

Use Transit Equity Day as your low-stakes introduction to how your city actually works when you’re not sealed in a car. Notice the connections. Watch how neighborhoods flow into each other. See what’s accessible that you didn’t realize was accessible.

You might discover what I did years ago in Cleveland: that the obstacles you thought would ruin your day actually become the best parts of it.

Who’s Participating?

Confirmed Free Transit on February 4, 2026:

Southern California (Nearly System-Wide):

• LA Metro (buses, trains, bike share, Metro Micro)
• Metrolink (all 6-county regional service)
• LADOT Transit (Commuter Express, DASH, all services)
• Santa Monica Big Blue Bus
• Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA)
• Riverside Transit Agency (RTA)
• San Bernardino County (all five transit providers: Omnitrans, Mountain Transit, Basin Transit, Victor Valley Transit Authority, Needles Area Transit)
• Ventura County Transportation Commission (VCTC) providers

Bay Area/Northern California:

• Sacramento Regional Transit (SacRT)
• SolTrans (Solano County)

Maryland (Statewide):

• Maryland Transit Administration (all services: Local Bus, Light Rail, Metro Subway, MARC Train, Mobility, Commuter Bus)
• Montgomery County Ride On (all services)

Colorado:

• Regional Transportation District (RTD Denver)

Virginia:

• Hampton Roads Transit (celebrating Monday, Feb. 10)

Other Cities to Check: Many major transit agencies haven’t announced their plans yet—or we haven’t found them. If you’re in Chicago, New York, Philadelphia, Boston, Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Atlanta, Phoenix, Dallas, Houston, Minneapolis, or any other city with public transit, check your local transit agency’s website and social media this week.

Some agencies participate but announce late. Others may offer special programming or events even if they’re not going completely fare-free.

Make It Count

Transit Equity Day isn’t just about free rides. It’s about recognizing that public transportation is infrastructure for opportunity. When transit works well—when it’s accessible, affordable, and reliable—it connects people to jobs, education, healthcare, culture, and community.

When it doesn’t work well or is systematically underfunded in certain neighborhoods, that’s not just inconvenient. It’s inequitable.

So yes, enjoy your free ride on February 4. Explore somewhere new. But also pay attention to the experience. Notice which neighborhoods have frequent service and which don’t. See who’s riding. Think about what it would take to make your system work better for everyone.

Then, if you’re inspired, keep riding. Because the best way to support transit equity is to actually use transit.

Around the Corner and Around the Globe

Whether you ride next Tuesday or not, Transit Equity Day is a reminder that how we move through cities matters. Rosa Parks knew it in 1955. Transit advocates know it today.

The cities that work best are the ones where everyone—regardless of income, car ownership, or zip code—can get where they need to go.

That’s what we’re building toward. One ride at a time.

The post The Biggest Free Transit Day of the Year Is Next Week first appeared on Vector+Vista.

That’s what’s happening to Metro Transit’s Northstar Commuter Rail. The last trains ran this weekend, and the line will be replaced by express bus service along the same route starting tomorrow, January 5, 2026.

From Target Field in downtown Minneapolis to Big Lake in the northwest suburbs. Forty miles of track through Fridley, Coon Rapids, Anoka, Ramsey, and Elk River. Fifteen years of operation. And then: buses.

I’m disappointed. Not surprised, but disappointed.

Because here’s the thing—Northstar had potential. It served real communities. It connected suburban northwest metro residents to downtown Minneapolis jobs, Twins games, cultural events, all the things that make cities worth visiting. It worked for the people who used it.

The problem was simple and brutal: Not enough people used it.

The Numbers Tell the Story

Before 2020, Northstar averaged nearly 3,000 weekday riders. That’s not spectacular compared to major transit systems, but it’s respectable for a commuter rail line serving suburbs that are fundamentally car-oriented.

Then the pandemic hit.

Remote work became standard for precisely the kind of office workers who were Northstar’s core ridership. Commuting patterns collapsed. The trains kept running, but the riders didn’t come back.

By 2024, Northstar was averaging about 430 weekday riders. That’s an 85% decline.

The pandemic was the final blow, sure. But the trajectory was already set.

What We’re Actually Losing

Let me be clear about what’s ending: We’re losing commuter rail service, but we’re not losing transit access to the northwest metro.

The replacement bus service will still connect Big Lake, Elk River, Ramsey, Anoka, Coon Rapids, and Fridley to downtown Minneapolis. It’ll likely be more frequent than the limited train schedule. It’ll be more flexible, able to adjust routes based on demand. It’ll cost less to operate.

Buses aren’t inherently worse than trains. They’re different tools serving different purposes.

But there’s something about trains that buses can’t replicate. The smooth ride on rails. The sense of permanence—tracks represent commitment in a way bus routes never do. The capacity to move large numbers of people efficiently during peak times. The experience of riding a real train, not just a bus on a highway.

And yes, the symbolism matters. Trains signal investment. They say: “This community deserves rail transit. This corridor has a future.” Buses, fairly or not, feel like the fallback option. The cheaper alternative. The admission that you couldn’t make the real thing work.

Watching Northstar end feels like watching the Twin Cities give up on a piece of transit infrastructure that could have been so much more.

The Broader Context

Northstar’s closure doesn’t happen in isolation. It’s part of a pattern across American commuter rail systems dealing with the post-pandemic reality.

Office workers aren’t commuting five days a week anymore. Hybrid work is standard. The traditional 9-to-5, five-days-a-week pattern that justified commuter rail investments is gone. And it’s not coming back.

Transit agencies everywhere are scrambling to adapt. Some are succeeding by pivoting to all-day service, focusing on non-commute trips, serving diverse travel patterns. Others are struggling to justify infrastructure built for a commuting paradigm that no longer exists.

Northstar fell into the second category. Purpose-built for peak-hour suburban-to-downtown commuting, it couldn’t adapt when that market collapsed.

The bus replacement might actually serve riders better in this new reality. More frequent service throughout the day. Better integration with other transit routes. Lower operating costs that could be redirected to other services. Flexibility to adjust as patterns continue to evolve.

But it still feels like a loss. Because once you shut down a train line, getting it back is nearly impossible. The infrastructure might remain, but the institutional knowledge, the operating procedures, the momentum—all of that disappears. Buses can always become trains again in theory. In practice, it never happens.

What January Brings

The last Northstar trains made their final run from Minneapolis to Big Lake. Transit advocates will lament it. Regular riders will share their memories. The conductor announced as the train pulled into Big Lake, “Now arriving the final, final stop of Big Lake. Thanks for traveling Northstar.”

And then the buses will start running. Route 888. Express service along Highway 10. Same communities served. Different vehicles.

Life will go on. Northwest metro residents will still have transit access to downtown Minneapolis. The world won’t end because one commuter rail line shut down.

But something will be lost. A piece of the Twin Cities’ transit infrastructure. A connection that was more than just transportation. A symbol of what the region could be if it fully committed to transit.

I wish Metro Transit had fought harder for Northstar. I wish they’d invested in making it more than a limited commuter service. I realize that it was also beyond the powers of Metro Transit, as it was really Minnesota State House Representative Jon Koznick, serving as the chair of the House Transportation Finance and Policy Committee and historical critic of Northstar, who advanced a bill in the state house to terminate operations on the line, claiming that the line did not reduce congestion. I wish the pandemic hadn’t accelerated a decline that was already underway.

But I also understand the reality: 430 daily riders can’t justify the operating costs of commuter rail when buses can serve the same route more flexibly and more affordably.

It’s disappointing. It’s frustrating. It feels like a missed opportunity.

And in January, the trains stopped running.

For Those Who Rode It

If you were one of Northstar’s regular riders—if you took those trains to work, to Twins games, to downtown adventures—I hope you found value in it while it lasted.

And I hope the replacement bus service actually serves you well. More frequent. More flexible. Still connecting your community to downtown Minneapolis without the stress of driving and parking.

Transit doesn’t have to be trains to be useful. It just has to work.

I just wish we’d found a way to make the trains work too.

Featured Image: Jerry Huddleston Creative Commons Use

The post When the Train Stops Running: The End of Northstar first appeared on Vector+Vista.