Transit

D

Summary

Public transit is essential to America’s transportation network, with residents taking 34 million trips each weekday in 2023. However, ongoing and unexpected circumstances have positioned transit for a hard-to-predict future. The pandemic caused steep declines in ridership, as much as 80% in April 2020. By 2023, transit ridership only increased to 73% of pre-pandemic levels. Both federal pandemic aid and infrastructure investment were pivotal in maintaining transit services. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) provided transit with $108 billion in support, which is being used to address deferred maintenance and break ground on long-sought capital projects. However, due to years of deferred maintenance, a funding gap of $152 billion still exists over the next ten years for the nation’s transit systems. In addition, while states and localities are working to expand transit access, rising costs, a lack of support for operations, and the impact of work-from-home jobs create challenges. Greater transit access, reliable service, and increased ridership will depend on sustainable funding and communities incorporating transit into multimodal transportation plans.

Explore Background
Highlights

Transit use

remains well below pre-pandemic levels. In 2023, transit ridership was at

73% of 2019 levels

Transit systems

have $618 billion in infrastructure needs

through 2033

37.9% of transit workers

are more than 55 years old, a sign of

future staffing problems

Condition & Capacity

There are 6,800 FTA-supported agencies responsible for providing public transportation in the U.S. The majority (4,850) are nonprofit organizations. Of the 2,210 National Transit Database reporting systems connected to federal programs—either through the Urbanized Area Formula Program or Rural Formula Program—1,281 are in rural areas and 929 are in urban areas.

Explore Condition & Capacity

Funding & Future Need

Public transit is funded by passenger fares, transit agency earnings, and support from federal, state, and local governments. Although overall funding for transit has increased over the last decade-plus, revenue generated has declined owing to the sharp decline in ridership in 2020 and subsequent years, as well as fare amounts remaining unchanged. It is estimated that the nation’s transit programs will require $20.3 billion annually to achieve a state of good repair by 2038.

Explore Funding & Future Need

Operation and Maintenance

Operation expenses are about two-thirds of all transit costs. Nationwide large budget gaps are expected for operations in FY24 and beyond. Although the recent influx of federal assistance along with renewed funding from state and local governments has benefited transit networks, gaps remain in accommodating facilities and services.

Explore Operation & Maintenance

Public Safety

Public transit is one of the safest modes of transportation. In 2023, there were 327 transit-related fatalities, compared to an estimated 40,990 highway fatalities.

Explore Public Safety

Resilience & Innovation

Rail and bus lines are frequently interrupted by extreme weather. MTA in New York reported that 200 subway stations—representing half of the total stations in the system—have flooded in recent years. In response, MTA is planning $6 billion in improvements to protect facilities from weather-related events.

Explore Resilience & Innovation

Raising the Grade

Solutions that Work

Encourage collaboration between local and regional transportation planning for sustained capital improvements, maintenance, and operations.
Embrace approaches to address and fund investments in sustainability, resiliency, and risk mitigation to effectively and proactively address challenges of climate change and economic shocks.
Encourage good asset management practice to prioritize and address ongoing state of good repair needs, maximize the impact of available funds, and improve the overall condition of our systems.
Address workforce and staffing needs through community outreach and training programs to ensure operational resiliency, including operators, control center staff, and critical transit maintenance and operations personnel.
Prioritize network and multimodal connectivity, including emerging bikeshare and micromobility as well as regional and interagency connectivity to improve passenger experience, accessibility, functionality, service, and flexibility.
Support consistent and long-term financing approaches, including additional flexibility to use funds for planning, maintenance, state of good repair, and operations across all asset classes and types to align with local and regional transit plans.

View Report Sources

  • METRO, “Public Transit Ridership Continues Post-COVID Bounce Back,” 2024.
  • American Society of Civil Engineers, “Bridging the Gap: Economic Impacts of National Infrastructure Investment 2024 – 2043,” 2024.
  • U.S. Census Bureau, “American Housing Survey,” 2023.
  • Federal Transit Administration, “History of the National Transit Database and Transit in the United States,” 2024.
  • American Public Transportation Association, “2023 Public Transportation Fact Book,” 2024.
  • U.S. Census Bureau, “American Housing Survey,” 2023.
  • New York City Transit, “Subway and Bus Ridership for 2023,” 2023.
  • Congressional Research Service, “Public Transportation Ridership: Implications of Recent Trends for Public Policy,” 2022.
  • U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Transit Administration, “Building Better Transit,” 2022.
  • The Transport Politic, “Historical Trends Show a Decline in High Quality Transit in the US – And an Uptick Elsewhere,” 2023.
  • American Society of Civil Engineering, Civil Engineering Source, “Public Transit’s Future Is Bright, Technological, Equitable,” 2023.
  • New York State Office of Governor Kathy Hochul, “Putting Commuters First, Keeping Costs Down: Governor Hochul Unveils Plans for Future of Transit and Traffic in New York City, Including a 40 Percent Reduction in Congestion Pricing Tolls,” 2024.
  • Metropolitan Council, “Annual Transit Ridership Grows 16% as Bus Service Expands,” 2024.
  • American Public Transportation Association, Transit Ridership Report, 2024.
  • Department of Transportation, USDOT COVID-19 Relief Funding Status as of 9/30/24 for Federal Transit Administration, 2024.
  • Federal Transit Administration, “Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Transit Ridership and Accessibility,” 2024.
  • New York Department of Transportation, “Group Transit Asset Management (TAM) Plan for Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Grantees,” 2023.
  • American Public Transportation Association, “New APTA Report Says Public Transit Users Can Save $13,000 Annually,” 2023.
  • Department of Transportation, “Status of the Nation’s Highways, Bridges, and Transit Conditions and Performance Report,” 2024.
  • American Society of Civil Engineers, “Bridging the Gap: Economic Impacts of National Infrastructure Investment 2024 – 2043,” 2024.
  • American Public Transportation Association, “2023 Public Transportation Fact Book,” 2024.
  • American Public Transportation Association, “Summary of Public Transit Programs and Funding,” 2023.
  • Congressional Budget Office, “Federal Financial Support for Public Transportation,” 2022.
  • Federal Register. Vol. 89, No. 106. Federal Transit Administration, “Fiscal Year 2024 Apportionments, Allocations, and Program Information,” 2024.
  • Urban Institute, “Surmounting the Fiscal Cliff: Identifying Stable Funding Solutions for Public Transportation Systems,” 2023.
  • APTA Center for Transportation Excellence, “Voters Across the Country Support Public Transportation at the Ballot Box,” 2022.
  • Governing Magazine, “With Public Transit on the Brink, Some States Prepare to Boost Funding,” 2024.
  • Eno Center on Transportation, “Saving Time and Making Sense: A Blueprint for Building Better Transit,” 2021.
  • CBS News Miami, “After Vote to Expand Rapid Mass Transit in Miami-Dade Residents Ask What Comes Next,” 2024.
  • Chicago Reader, “No New Revenue Without Reform,” 2024.
  • American Public Transportation Association, “Post-Election Snapshot: Voters Greenlight
  • $25+ Billion in Public Transportation Ballot Measures in 2024,” 2024.
  • Eno Center on Transportation, “Saving Time and Making Sense: A Blueprint for Building Better Transit,” 2021.
  • Congressional Research Service, “Federal Support for Public Transportation Operating Expenses,” 2024.
  • CNBC, “Here’s Why Public Transit Keeps Running Out of Money,” 2023.
  • Eno Center for Transportation, “The Mass Transit Fiscal Cliff: Estimating the Size and Scope of the Problem,” 2022.
  • Congressional Research Service, “Federal Support for Public Transportation Operating Expenses,” 2024.
  • Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Employment in Transportation: Annual Employment in Transportation and Related Industries, 2023 Year in Review.
  • American Public Transit Association, “Transit Workforce Shortage Synthesis Report,” 2023.
  • Federal Transit Administration, “TAM Plans,” updated August 30, 2023.
  • U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, “Transportation Fatalities by Mode,” 2024.
  • National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, “Early Estimate of Motor Vehicle Traffic Fatalities in 2023,” 2024.
  • Federal Transit Administration, “National Transit Summaries and Trends (NTST),” 2024.
  • Federal Transit Administration, “Public Transportation Agency Safety Plans (PTASP) Frequently Asked Questions.”
  • Federal Transit Administration, “State Safety Oversight, Enhanced Safety and Crime Prevention Initiative & Safety Research and Demonstration.”
  • WEF, “$6 Billion Plan Aims to Flood-Proof New York City’s Transit System,” 2024.
  • The Oregonian, “All MAX Lines Suspended, but TriMet Buses Still Running for Now as Downed Trees, Freezing Temps Disrupt Service,” January 13, 2024.
  • Federal Transit Administration, “Transit Resilience Guidebook,” 2024.
  • Virginia Department of Transportation, “Resilience Plan,” 2022.
  • National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board, “National Capital Region Transportation Resilience Improvement Plan,” 2024.
  • Route Fifty, “Houston Metro Adapts Winter-Weather Tactic to Save Its Buses From Harvey’s Flooding,” 2017.
  • New Orleans Regional Transit Authority, “2024 Hurricane Preparedness Guide.”
  • Federal Transit Administration, “Bus Procurement,” 2024.
  • CALSTART, “Zeroing In on Zero-Emission Buses,” 2024.
  • American Planning Association, “On Demand Microtransit: A Rural Solution to Public Transit?,” 2022.
  • Minnesota Department of Transportation, “Rural Community Transit Strategies: Building on, Expanding, and Enhancing Existing Assets and Programs,” 2023.
  • Enghouse Transportation and Public Safety, “As Transit Agencies Migrate to Open-Loop Payments, Some Cities Struggle,” 2022.
  • Governing, “Contactless Payment Arrives for Boston Transit in August,” 2024.
  • TriMET, C-Trane, & Metropolitan Transportation Commission.
  • Maryland Transit Administration, “MARC and Virginia Railway Express Cross-Honor Program Advances Regional Connectivity,” 2024.
  • Government Technology, “Fare Capping Is Being Adopted by Transit Agencies of All Sizes,” 2023.

Photo Attributions

  • Mitchell Johnson on Unsplash
  • Jared Murray on Unsplash
  • Gordon Chaffin
  • Gordon Chaffin
  • Gordon Chaffin
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