CTAA Unveils New Data Presentation on Urban Transit Ridership Per Capita
One of the most noteworthy findings is that some of the highest transit ridership per capita figures are found in smaller urban areas, challenging the conventional wisdom that larger cities have the most-used transit systems.
Washington, D.C. – [September 25, 2024] – The Community Transportation Association of America (CTAA) has released a compelling new data presentation showcasing transit ridership per capita across urban areas in the United States. This detailed analysis by CTAA draws on raw data from the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) National Transit Database (NTD) reports, which include comprehensive statistics from all transit providers.
The presentation highlights key metrics such as the total population of urban areas, the number of unlinked passenger trips (UPT) as recorded in the NTD, UPT per capita figures, and classifications of urban areas into small, medium, or large categories, based on their urban area population. One of the most noteworthy findings is that some of the highest transit ridership per capita figures are found in smaller urban areas, challenging the conventional wisdom that larger
cities have the most-used transit systems.
For example, Ames, Iowa, a small urban area with a population of 66,342, ranks third overall in transit ridership per capita. This suggests that smaller urban areas can and do have highly effective and utilized transit systems, rivaling or even surpassing those in much larger cities.
Chris Zeilinger, the author of the data chart, explains, “UPT per capita is simply a calculation. It is suggestive of a number of things about the value and utilization of transit, but it’s not the definitive measure of transit winners and losers. These rankings are by urban area, not by transit system. A highly-used transit system such as Alexandria Transit Company (DASH) in Alexandria, Virginia is not highlighted on this list due to its location being part of the larger
Washington, DC urban area.” Zeilinger elaborates on this point by saying, “In many urban areas, whether large or small, the success of local transit depends on a network of transit services. This is true whether it’s the dozen or more public transit systems, including DASH, in the Washington D.C., area, the services of CyRide and HIRTA in Ames, Iowa, the combination of Mountain Line and West Virginia University’s Personal Rapid Transit in Morgantown, W.Va., or the network of close to 150 public transit systems collectively providing more than 400 million passenger trips in the Los Angeles urban area.”
“As a performance indicator, UPT per capita is a reasonable gauge of how effective urban areas’ transit systems, taken collectively, perform at a traditional general public transit mission,” Zeilinger continues. “In many smaller urban areas and rural communities, the mission of transit systems is often more closely aligned with the mobility needs of vulnerable populations, social service delivery, or with promoting economic independence among at-risk individuals.”
This new data presentation by CTAA provides valuable insights for local officials, transportation policymakers, and the public, underscoring the diverse and critical roles that public transit systems play across the Uni ed States. It also highlights the importance of considering a wider range of performance indicators when evaluating the success and impact of transit systems.
This data was first presented during the CTAA Small Urban Network (SUN) Conference in Alexandria, Va., in August 2024.