U.S. Department of Energy - Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

Vehicle Technologies Office

Fact #590: September 28, 2009
Transit Ridership Still Strong in 2009

"Even with significant declines in gasoline prices, higher unemployment, a general economic downturn, and lower state and local revenue, public transportation use in the first quarter is essentially flat – almost matching last year's modern record first quarter ridership – declining by only 1.2%." (Source: Transit News Press Release, June, 15, 2009). Bus and heavy rail transit trips, which made up the majority of transit trips, were down less than 2% from 2008 to 2009. Light rail, trolleybus and the "other" category experienced increased ridership during 2009.

Transit Unlinked Passenger Trips, First Quarter 2008 and 2009
Graph showing the transit ridership on bus, heavy rail, light rail, commuter rail, demand response, trolleybus, and other for the first quarter of 2008 and the first quarter of 2009. Ridership only declined by 1.2% from 1st quarter 2008 as compared to 1st quarter 2009. For more detailed information, see the table below.
* Other includes aerial tramway, automated guideway, cable car, ferryboat, inclined plane, monorail, and vanpool.

Supporting Information

Transit Trips, First Quarter 2008 Compared to 2009
  Unlinked Passenger Trips  
  1st Quarter 2008 1st Quarter 2009 Percent Change
Heavy rail 861,349 846,091 -1.77%
Light rail 108,776 110,708 1.78%
Commuter rail 115,148 111,661 -3.03%
Trolleybus 24,804 25,994 4.80%
Bus 1,369,586 1,352,941 -1.22%
Demand Response 53,633 55,641 3.75%
Other* 44,676 44,773 0.22%
U.S. Total 2,577,971 2,547,808 -1.17%

* Other includes aerial tramway, automated guideway, cable car, ferryboat, inclined plane, monorail, and vanpool.
Source: American Public Transportation Association, Transit Ridership Report, First Quarter 2009, June 2009.

 

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