APTA touts 2013 public transit ridership

More Americans relied on public transit (bus and rail) in 2013 than in any year since 1956, the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) said Monday, March 10, 2014.

APTA said overall transit ridership rose 1.1% during 2013, with almost 10.7 billion trips taken on public transport, recovering from somewhat depressed levels attributed to the Great Recession.

“People are making a fundamental shift to having options” aside from a car in how they get around, said APTA President and CEO Michael Melaniphy. “This is a long-term trend. This isn’t just a blip.”

Among other large systems, Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA) light rail transit ridership rose 6% from 2012 levels, in part due to LACMTA’s expanding LRT reach. Including bus transport, LACMTA ridership rose 1.9% over 2012 levels.

New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority ridership on regional rail, subway, and bus lines rose 3.6% in 2013, according to APTA figures and MTA officials.