BART sees strong January ridership gains, but sales tax measure remains vital to survival

BART ridership continued its slow rebound in January with more riders returning to the rail system, even as the transit agency faces deep financial uncertainty, according to transit agency officials.

BART officials said Tuesday that based on data from their January 2026 Monthly Ridership Snapshot, there were nearly 4.6 million paid exits, which is a 10.7% increase compared with January 2025. Average weekday ridership reached 182,487 trips, and several weekdays topped 200,000 trips. The busiest day was Jan. 28, with 207,343 trips, according to the transit agency.