December 19, 2014
NEWS HEADLINES
CLASSIFIEDS
» Community Transit in Everett, WA, seeks a chief executive officer. [More]
» Utah Transit Authority is looking for a general counsel. [More]
» Connecticut DOT has issued an RFP for a ticket vending machine system. [More]
View more Classified Ads »
TO PLACE AN AD: E-mail the requested date(s) of publication to: ptads@apta.com. Mailing address is: Passenger Transport, 1666 K Street, NW, Washington, DC 20006. Ad copy is not accepted by phone. DEADLINE: 3 p.m. EST, Friday, one week prior to publication date. INFORMATION: Phone (202) 496-4877.

Industry Records 2.7 ­Billion-Plus Trips in Third Quarter; Investments, Technology Lead To Greater Access, Quality

Riders took more than 2.7 billion trips on U.S. public transportation in the third quarter of 2014, an increase of 1.8 percent over the same quarter last year and the highest third-quarter ridership figure since 1974, states APTA’s recently issued ridership report.

Some public transit systems that reported record third quarter ridership for their entire system or for a specific line are located in Albany, NY; Ann Arbor, MI; Birmingham, AL; Denver, CO; Minneapolis, MN; New York City (Metro North), NY; Oakland, CA; St. Petersburg, FL; Peoria, IL; Seattle, WA; and Wenatchee, WA.

Overall, ridership has increased in 12 of the last 15 quarters, the report says. “There are a number of reasons why public transportation ridership is on the rise,” said APTA President & CEO Michael Melaniphy.

“First, the investment in public transportation by the federal government has paid off with new rail and bus rapid transit lines or extensions that have opened up in recent years. These new services have not only created greater access for people to use public transit, but also have led to economic development that has transformed and revitalized the community. Public transportation is not just moving people, but also positively shaping the communities we live in,” he continued.

“A second reason for increased ridership is that people are affirmatively responding to the quality of public transportation that is now available,” said Melaniphy. “For example, some public transit systems have increased their frequency of service and have modernized their vehicle fleets. Additionally, with the use of apps and real-time information at stations, riders can easily find out when the next bus or train will arrive. Technology has made riding public transportation more convenient and easier to use.”

Further, Melaniphy said that “the economy is recovering and since nearly 60 percent of public transit trips are taken to travel for work commutes, public transportation ridership has increased in cities where the economy has improved,” he said.

The following cities are some examples of areas with higher employment and public transit ridership for the third quarter:  Atlanta, GA; Boston, MA; Champaign-Urbana, IL; Columbus, OH; Dallas, TX; Denver, CO; Minneapolis, MN; Portland, OR; Salt Lake City, UT; San Francisco, CA, and Seattle, WA.

“High and volatile gas prices have played a part over the past nine years in convincing people to try public transportation,” said Melaniphy. “Now that gas prices are declining, many people are still choosing to ride public transportation. They have discovered that there are other benefits to taking public transit besides saving money.”

Ridership Breakdown
Nationally, heavy rail ridership increased by 4.6 percent for the quarter, light rail increased by 3.2 percent, commuter rail grew by 3.5 percent, and paratransit ridership grew by 1.3 percent.Bus ridership decreased nationally by 0.4 percent overall. More specifically, ridership on small- and medium-sized bus agencies increased while large bus systems declined by 0.8 percent. Trolleybus ridership declined by 3.3 percent.

See the report at the APTA website.
Share: LinkedIn Twitter Facebook
« Previous Article
Return to Top
Next Article »

FORWARD   |   CALENDAR   |   APTA HOME   |   ADVERTISE WITH US
© Copyright American Public Transportation Association
1666 K Street NW, Washington, DC 20006
Telephone (202) 496-4882 • Fax (202) 496-4321
Print Version | Search Back Issues | Contact Us | Unsubscribe
Twitter Flickr Blog YouTube Facebook