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Americans Took 10.6 Billion Trips on Public Transit in 2015
According to APTA’s recently released report, ridership on public transportation declined by 1.3 percent in 2015. This small decline was due in part to the lowest gas prices in seven years.
“In 2015, people took 10.6 billion trips on public transportation—the third highest annual ridership in the past 10 years,” said Valarie J. McCall, APTA chair and board member of the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority. “Considering the significant decline in gas prices, public transit ridership remained strong.”
In 2015, the average price of a gallon of gasoline was $2.52, which was 92 cents (26.7 percent) lower than in 2014. Gas prices in the fourth quarter of 2015 were $2.26—even lower than the annual average. Research conducted by APTA shows that on the average, every 10 percent decrease in gas prices leads to a 1.8 percent decrease in public transportation ridership.
Additionally, fare increases in 2015 may have contributed to the slight decline in ridership. Fares increased 4.8 percent, from a national average of $1.87 in 2014 to $1.96 in 2015.
Noting that from 1995-2015 public transit ridership increased by 37 percent—almost double the population growth. APTA President & CEO Michael Melaniphy said, “What’s clear is that despite low gas prices and higher fares in some areas, people want transportation options and public transportation is an essential part of any local transportation network.”
Some public transit agencies reported record ridership system-wide. They are Caltrain (San Carlos, CA); Chicago Transit Authority; Link Transit (Wenatchee, WA); Metro Transit (Minneapolis); MTA Metro-North Railroad (New York); Mountain Line (Missoula, MT); New Jersey Transit Corporation, and Sound Transit (Seattle).
Find an analysis here and the report here.
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