Public transit in the United States - Statistics & Facts

From the subway to buses, streetcars, and ferries, public transit networks in the United States offer a variety of travel options. The most widely used form of public transport in the United States is buses, which account for nearly half of all public transit trips. The number of passenger trips in 2022, reported by public transit authorities in the U.S., reached almost 6.19 billion. In 2020, the travel restrictions brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic deeply affected transit ridership, which fell from nearly 10 billion in 2019 to under five billion that year. Public transportation operating revenue was not as severely hit as passenger traffic. Still, the effects of the pandemic did reverse the upward trend, with revenue dropping by about 2.4 percent between its peak in 2019 and 2021.

The transit giants

The first public transit system in the U.S. was set up in Boston, Massachusetts, initially as a ferry service in 1630, followed by stagecoaches in the late 1700s. Greater Boston is also home to the oldest metro network in the country, which opened in September 1897. Today, Boston’s transit authority (MBTA) operates all five major ground mass transit modes and is one of the largest transit authorities in the country. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the MBTA was transporting more than 300 million passengers per year, dropping to around 215 million passengers by 2022. The largest public transportation authority in the U.S. is the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), the corporation responsible for mass transit in the New York metropolitan area. In 2019, ridership of the MTA network reached almost 2.6 billion passengers, of which around 62 percent traveled on the New York City Subway. The MTA’s ridership suffered a considerable year-over-year decrease of approximately 63 percent in 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic, although ridership rose to around 1.2 billion passengers in 2021.

Electrification of the bus fleet

Currently, electric and zero-emission buses constitute a marginal fraction of the United States public bus fleet, while diesel buses continue to dominate. However, the adoption of electric buses has experienced rapid growth, albeit from a low level. Between 2021 and 2022, the number of zero-emission buses (ZEBs) in operation in the U.S. increased by more than 55 percent, climbing to a total of 5,480 vehicles, most of which were battery-electric buses. As of December 2022, California had close to 2,000 zero-emission buses, the largest fleet among all 50 states. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law passed in 2021 includes funding for modernizing transit bus fleets and is expected to encourage electric bus adoption further.

This text provides general information. Statista assumes no liability for the information given being complete or correct. Due to varying update cycles, statistics can display more up-to-date data than referenced in the text.

Public transit passengers transported in the U.S.: 6.19bn

Most used transit mode in the U.S.: Bus

Largest U.S. transit authority: MTA

Editor’s Picks Current statistics on this topic

Annual number of passenger boarding of Los Angeles County's transit authority (LACMTA) from FY 2015 to FY 2022, by mode (in millions)

Public Transportation & Mobility Services

Annual ridership of Los Angeles' transit authority, by mode 2015-2022

Annual number of paid passengers transported by the Philadelphia transit authority (SEPTA) from 2012 to 2022 (in millions)

Public Transportation & Mobility Services

Annual ridership of the Philadelphia transit authority 2012-2022

U.S. cities with the busiest heavy rail systems in 2022, by ridership (in million unlinked transit passenger trips)*

Rapid transit

U.S. heavy rail network - leading cities by ridership 2022

Recommended statistics

Overview

Premium Statistic U.S.: Mode of transport commonly used to commute to work 2021
U.S.: Mode of transport commonly used to commute to work 2021
Distribution of transportation modes of U.S. workers commuting to work in 2021
Premium Statistic U.S. public transit: Operating revenue 2010-2021
U.S. public transit: Operating revenue 2010-2021
Total operating revenue of public transportation in the United States, 2010 to 2021 (in current million U.S. dollars)
Premium Statistic U.S. workers using public transportation to commute to work 2000-2021
U.S. workers using public transportation to commute to work 2000-2021
Share of workers in the U.S. using public transportation to commute to work from 2000 to 2021
Premium Statistic U.S. public transit: Number of unlinked passenger trips 1995-2022
U.S. public transit: Number of unlinked passenger trips 1995-2022
Number of unlinked passenger trips in U.S. public transit from 1995 to 2022 (in billions)
Premium Statistic U.S. public transportation - Modal share of unlinked passenger trips in 2022
U.S. public transportation - Modal share of unlinked passenger trips in 2022
Modal share of unlinked passenger trips with U.S. public transportation in 2022
Premium Statistic Average passenger fare on public transit in the U.S. 2020
Average passenger fare on public transit in the U.S. 2020
Average passenger fare per unlinked trip on public transport in the United States in 2020 (in U.S. dollars), by mode
Premium Statistic U.S. transit agencies - 10 largest based on unlinked passenger trips 2020
U.S. transit agencies - 10 largest based on unlinked passenger trips 2020
10 largest U.S. transit agencies based on unlinked passenger trips in 2020 (in millions)
Premium Statistic United States: monthly heavy-rail ridership 2020–2023
United States: monthly heavy-rail ridership 2020–2023
Estimated unlinked passenger trips on heavy-rail systems in the U.S. in 2020 and 2023 (in millions)
Premium Statistic U.S. heavy rail network - leading cities by ridership 2022
U.S. heavy rail network - leading cities by ridership 2022
U.S. cities with the busiest heavy rail systems in 2022, by ridership (in million unlinked transit passenger trips)*

Ridership of main transit networks

Premium Statistic MTA: Annual ridership of the New York City transit authority 2012-2022
MTA: Annual ridership of the New York City transit authority 2012-2022
Annual number of paid passengers transported by the New York City transit authority (MTA)* from 2012 to 2022 (in millions)
Premium Statistic Annual ridership of the Chicago transit authority 2012-2021
Annual ridership of the Chicago transit authority 2012-2021
Annual number of paid passengers transported by the Chicago transit authority (CTA) from 2012 to 2021 (in millions)
Premium Statistic Annual ridership of the Washington, D.C. transit authority 2012-2022
Annual ridership of the Washington, D.C. transit authority 2012-2022
Annual number of unlinked passenger trips of the Washington, D.C. transit authority (WMATA) from FY 2012 to FY 2022 (in millions)
Premium Statistic Annual ridership of the Boston transit authority, by mode 2015-2022
Annual ridership of the Boston transit authority, by mode 2015-2022
Annual number of unlinked passenger trips of the Boston transit authority (MBTA) from 2015 to 2022, by mode (in millions)
Premium Statistic Annual ridership of Los Angeles' transit authority, by mode 2015-2022
Annual ridership of Los Angeles' transit authority, by mode 2015-2022
Annual number of passenger boarding of Los Angeles County's transit authority (LACMTA) from FY 2015 to FY 2022, by mode (in millions)
Premium Statistic Annual ridership of the Philadelphia transit authority 2012-2022
Annual ridership of the Philadelphia transit authority 2012-2022
Annual number of paid passengers transported by the Philadelphia transit authority (SEPTA) from 2012 to 2022 (in millions)

Funding and revenues

Premium Statistic Total funding spent for public transportation in the U.S. 2010-2021
Total funding spent for public transportation in the U.S. 2010-2021
Total funding spent for public transit in the United States from 2010 to 2021 (in billion U.S. dollars)
Premium Statistic Capital funding sources for public transit in the U.S. 2020
Capital funding sources for public transit in the U.S. 2020
Share of capital funding sources for public transit in the United States in 2020, by source
Premium Statistic Passenger fares as share of total transit operating funds in the U.S. 2010-2020
Passenger fares as share of total transit operating funds in the U.S. 2010-2020
Share of public transportation operating funds generated from passenger fares in the United States from 2010 to 2020
Premium Statistic Total federal funding authorized for public transportation in the U.S. 2016-2026
Total federal funding authorized for public transportation in the U.S. 2016-2026
Total federal funding authorized for public transit in the United States from 2016 to 2026 (in billion U.S. dollars)
Premium Statistic Total federal funding for public transportation in the U.S., by state 2022-2026
Total federal funding for public transportation in the U.S., by state 2022-2026
Total federal funding for public transit in the United States under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law from 2022 to 2026, by state and other jurisdictions (in million U.S. dollars)
Premium Statistic U.S.: Annual revenue of the New York urban transport authority 2016-2021
U.S.: Annual revenue of the New York urban transport authority 2016-2021
Annual operating revenue of the public transportation authority of New York, U.S. (MTA) from 2016 to 2021 (in million U.S. dollars)
Premium Statistic U.S.: Annual revenue of Chicago's urban transit authority 2014-2021
U.S.: Annual revenue of Chicago's urban transit authority 2014-2021
Annual operating revenue of the public transportation authority of Chicago, U.S. (CTA) from 2014 to 2021 (in million U.S. dollars)
Premium Statistic Annual operating revenue of the Washington, D.C. transit authority 2012-2022
Annual operating revenue of the Washington, D.C. transit authority 2012-2022
Annual operating revenue of the Washington, D.C. transit authority (WMATA) from FY 2012 to FY 2022 (in million U.S. dollars)
Premium Statistic U.S.: Operating revenues of the public transportation authority of Boston 2016-2022
U.S.: Operating revenues of the public transportation authority of Boston 2016-2022
Annual operating revenue of the public transportation authority of Boston, U.S. (MBTA) from FY 2016 to FY 2022 (in 1,000 U.S. dollars)
Premium Statistic Annual revenue of Los Angeles' transit authority, by type 2018-2022
Annual revenue of Los Angeles' transit authority, by type 2018-2022
Annual operating revenue of Los Angeles County's transit authority (LACMTA) from FY 2018 to FY 2022, by type (in million U.S. dollars)
Premium Statistic Annual operating revenue of the Philadelphia transit authority 2012-2022
Annual operating revenue of the Philadelphia transit authority 2012-2022
Annual operating revenue of the Philadelphia transit authority (SEPTA) from 2012 to 2022 (in million U.S. dollars)

Sustainability

Premium Statistic U.S. urban transit traffic: Electricity consumption 2010-2021
U.S. urban transit traffic: Electricity consumption 2010-2021
Electricity consumption of the urban transportation traffic in the United States from 2010 to 2021 (in gigawatt-hour)
Premium Statistic Fuel consumption of the U.S. urban transit, by type 2010-2021
Fuel consumption of the U.S. urban transit, by type 2010-2021
Motor fuel consumption of the urban transportation traffic in the United States from 2010 to 2021, by type (in million gallons)
Premium Statistic U.S. transit bus fleet fuel types 2014-2020
U.S. transit bus fleet fuel types 2014-2020
Transit bus fleet in the United States between 2014 and 2020, by fuel type
Premium Statistic Full-size transit ZEBs count in the U.S., by type 2020-2022
Full-size transit ZEBs count in the U.S., by type 2020-2022
Number of full-size transit zero-emission buses (ZEB) in the United States from 2020 to 2022
Premium Statistic Full-size transit ZEBs deployed in the U.S., by state 2022
Full-size transit ZEBs deployed in the U.S., by state 2022
Number of full-size zero-emission transit buses (ZEB) deployed and in operation in the United States as of September 2022, by state

Safety

Premium Statistic Transportation fatalities by mode in the United States 2020
Transportation fatalities by mode in the United States 2020
Number of transportation fatalities in the United States in 2020, by mode
Premium Statistic Number of public transit incidents in the U.S. 2010-2021
Number of public transit incidents in the U.S. 2010-2021
Number of incidents on the public transportation systems in the United States from 2010 to 2021
Premium Statistic Number of public transit incidents in the U.S., by mode 2019-2021
Number of public transit incidents in the U.S., by mode 2019-2021
Number of incidents on the public transportation systems in the United States in 2019 and 2021, by mode
Premium Statistic Number of public transit accidents in the U.S. 2010-2021
Number of public transit accidents in the U.S. 2010-2021
Number of accidents on the public transportation systems in the United States from 2010 to 2021
Premium Statistic Number of public transit fatalities in the U.S. 2010-2021
Number of public transit fatalities in the U.S. 2010-2021
Number of fatalities on public transportation systems in the United States from 2010 to 2021
Premium Statistic Number of public transit crime events in the U.S., by type 2021
Number of public transit crime events in the U.S., by type 2021
Number of crime events in the public transportation systems in the United States in 2021, by type

Report on the topic

Go to report

Top Seller

Key figures

The most important key figures provide you with a compact summary of the topic of "Public transit in the United States" and take you straight to the corresponding statistics.

Funding spent for public transit in the U.S.
77.2bn USD
Detailed statistics
Total funding spent for public transportation in the U.S. 2010-2021
Operating revenue of the U.S. transit sector
53.1bn USD
Detailed statistics
U.S. public transit: Operating revenue 2010-2021
Operating revenue of the MTA
5.8bn USD
Detailed statistics
U.S.: Annual revenue of the New York urban transport authority 2016-2021

Passengers transported by the MTA
1.2b
Detailed statistics
MTA: Annual ridership of the New York City Transit Authority, by division 2019-2021
Passengers transported by the CTA
196m
Detailed statistics
Annual ridership of the Chicago transit authority 2012-2021
Passenger boardings of the LACMTA
253.5m
Detailed statistics
Annual ridership of Los Angeles' transit authority, by mode 2015-2022