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Public transportation riders across the U.S. took nearly 2.5 billion trips during the first quarter of 2010, according to a recently released APTA report. Even taking into account continued high unemployment, a severe economic downturn, lower state and local revenue for public transportation, and historic snowfalls in the mid-Atlantic region and Texas, transit use in the quarter declined less than 3 percent.

“Despite negative economic national trends, public transportation ridership has declined by only 2.7 percent,” said APTA President William Millar. “High unemployment impacts public transit use since nearly 60 percent of trips are work-related commuter trips. Additionally, public transportation service is funded by state and local revenue, both of which have declined due to the economic recession. But we are encouraged that light rail service as well as bus systems serving smaller communities increased overall.”

The only U.S. transit modes that showed ridership increases in the first quarter were bus systems serving populations of less than 100,000, up 5.7 percent; light rail, up 1.5 percent; and trolleybus, up 0.2 percent. However, the 12 Canadian systems surveyed reported a total 6.5 percent increase compared with the first quarter of 2009.

The U.S. statistics show quarterly increases in 10 out of 29 light rail systems, three of 15 heavy rail systems, and seven of 27 commuter rail systems. The complete report is available here.

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