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U.S. public transportation agencies report providing more than 7.9 billion trips in the first three quarters of 2012—201 million more than in the same period during 2011, a 2.6 percent increase.
“With seven consecutive quarters of ridership increases, it’s obvious that public demand for public transit is growing,” said APTA President & CEO Michael Melaniphy. “As Congress works to resolve our country’s deficit problem, it also needs to work to resolve the transportation deficit. Otherwise, public transit and highway funding will be facing an annual $15 billion shortfall in the next 10 years.”
All major modes of public transportation showed ridership growth in the period between January and September 2012. Light rail and heavy rail reported the largest increases in the first nine months of the year: 4.2 percent and 3.6 percent respectively.
Melaniphy also noted the important role of public transit in providing access to employment. “We continue to see that in areas where the local economy is improving and new jobs are being added, public transportation ridership is up,” he said. “This makes sense since nearly 60 percent of the trips taken on public transportation are for work commutes. Public transit service is an important resource for employees and employers as it is instrumental in helping people travel to their jobs.”
In the light rail sector, 22 out of 28 U.S. systems reported increases in ridership during this period—led by The Tide in Hampton, VA, which experienced triple-digit growth due to new service. These five cities saw double-digit growth: Memphis, TN (33.7 percent); Salt Lake City, UT (19.7 percent); Los Angeles, CA (13.7 percent); Pittsburgh, PA (13.5 percent); and Seattle, WA (11.1 percent).
Twelve out of 15 U.S. heavy rail systems (subways and elevated trains) showed increased ridership in the first nine months of 2012. Leading the way were Cleveland, OH (10.8 percent), and San Francisco, CA (7.4 percent).
The commuter rail sector saw a 2.4 percent increase in ridership for the same period of 2012, with 19 out of 28 systems reporting growth. Commuter rail systems in these cities reported double-digit increases: Austin, TX (15.6 percent); San Carlos, CA (12.3 percent); and Seattle, WA (10.2 percent).
Nationally, bus ridership rose 1.8 percent from January through September of 2012 compared with the first nine months of 2011; 28 out of 37 large bus systems reporting increases. The largest bus ridership increases in large cities included St. Louis, MO (8.6 percent); Arlington Heights, IL (5.3 percent); Newark, NJ (5.2 percent); and Oakland, CA (5.0 percent).
Demand response (paratransit) increased by 3.6 percent during the same period.
The complete ridership report is available here. |
