APTA: U.S. transit ridership highest in 58 years

U.S. use of public transit, including bus and various rail modes, in 2014 attained the highest level in 58 years, the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) said Monday, March 9, 2015. APTA said 10.8 billion trips were recorded on public transport in 2014.

Said APTA Chair Phillip Washington, also CEO & general manager of Denver’s Regional Transportation District, “Some public transit systems experienced all-time record high ridership last year. This record ridership didn’t just happen in large cities. It also happened in small and medium size communities.”

Noting that public transit ridership increased even when gas prices declined by 42.9 cents in the fourth quarter, APTA President and CEO Michael Melaniphy said, “Despite the steep decline in gas prices at the end of last year, public transit ridership increased. This shows that once people start riding public transit, they discover that there are additional benefits besides saving money.”
<br.< p=””>

“People are changing their travel behavior and want more travel options,” Melaniphy added. “”In the past people had a binary choice. You either took public transit, most likely a bus, or you drove a car. Now there are multiple options with subways, light rail, streetcars, commuter trains, buses, ferries, cars, and shared use vehicles.”

APTA said that from 1995 to 2014, public transit ridership increased by 39%, almost double the population growth, which was up 21%. The estimated growth of vehicle miles traveled (VMT) was 25%. (APTA said the number “is estimated because the December VMT has not yet been posted by the Federal Highway Administration.”)

Light rail (modern light rail, streetcars, trolleys, and heritage trolleys) ridership increased 3.6% in 2014, with 16 out of 28 public transit systems reporting increases, APTA said. Minnesota’s Twin Cities led the LRT gains, up 57.4%, attributable to the opening of the Metro Green Line linking Minneapolis with points in neighboring St. Paul.

Heavy rail (subways and elevated trains) ridership increased by 3.3%, APTA reported, noting eight out of 15 public transit systems reported increases.

Overall regional rail (termed by APTA as “commuter rail”) ridership rose 2.9% in 2014, as 22 out of 28 public transit systems recorded gains, led by Salt Lake City’s Utah Transit Authority, up 16.2%.

Bus ridership decreased nationally by 1.1%, APTA noted. “However, in small and medium size population groups, bus ridership saw percentage increases of 2.0 and 0.5, respectively,” APTA added.

Demand response (paratransit) ridership increased in 2014 by 0.2%, APTA said, while trolleybus ridership declined by 2.8%.