Hamilton Street Railway ridership up slightly from 2022 and “significantly” improved from 2020

The road to returning transit numbers in Hamilton to pre-pandemic totals took a step forward last year, with ridership up slightly from last year and up a whopping 63.25 per cent from the first year of the pandemic in 2020.

Hamilton Street Railway (HSR) welcomed 19.1 million riders last year, just 2.5 million down from 2019. The slight bump from last year is still considered an “significant leap forward” in HSR’s efforts to recover lost ridership.

“I am thrilled that we have reached this remarkable milestone, which reflects the hard work and commitment of the HSR team and our valued customers,” said Hamilton Mayor Andrea Horwath. “As we continue to enhance our services and expand transit options, we are grateful for the community’s trust and support.”

Transit Director Maureen Cosyn Health said the milestone is a “testament” to the team at HSR and a reflection of improvements in service frequency and route options.

“Surpassing a ridership benchmark from 2019 is a positive achievement, and it showcases the community’s trust in us. We are honoured to have welcomed both returning and new customers to the HSR.”

Ridership in 2020 fell to 11.7 million, barely half of the previous year’s numbers.