2004 National Transit Summaries and Trends

Introduction

Introduces the transit modes discussed throughout the NTST.

Transit in the United States

National statistics and trends in ridership, miles of service and number of transit systems by mode.

Operating Costs and Performance Measures

Trends in operating costs by mode and measures of cost efficiency and effectiveness.

Quality of Transit Service

National trends for safety, maintenance reliability and lift equipped bus fleet.

Reliability

Trends in miles between major system failures.

ADA Compliance – Bus

Trends in the percentage of buses that are ADA lift- or ramp-equipped.

Funding Transit Operations

Funding sources used in transit, trends in recovery ratio and subsidy per passenger.

Capital Investment in Transit

Funding sources used in capital projects and capital expenditures by mode.

Bus Fleet

Trends in the average fleet age of the national bus fleet.

Fixed Guideway Mileage

Trends in fixed guideway mileage for bus and rail systems.

Alternative Fuel Usage

Trends in the percentage of the national bus fleet using alternative fuels and the share of fuel type used by non-electric transit vehicles.

National Transit Profile

Aggregate data for capital, operating funding and expenses, and characteristics for all modes operated in the nation.

Transit Data by Urbanized Area

Aggregate data grouped by urbanized area. Items include operating expense, vehicle revenue miles, fixed-guideway directional route miles, passenger miles and recovery ratio.

Aggregate Data by Form

Aggregate data reported to the NTD.

Data Used to Compile Graphics

Data used to develop graphics for data not presented with graphic.

Appendix

Key characteristics and uses of capital by transit agencies.

Introduction

Welcome to the National Transit Summaries and Trends (NTST), a portion of the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) annual report. The goal of the NTST is to summarize transit data in an easy to read format. The 2004 NTST discusses data covering the period 1995 to 2004.

On an average weekday, the nation’s transit systems carry over 30 million riders (unlinked passenger trips). There were 8.9 billion riders in 2004.

The NTST presents aggregate transit operating statistics by mode. Fifteen transit modes are included in the National Transit Database; for this publication statistics are presented for the predominant modes: bus, heavy rail, light rail, commuter rail, demand response and vanpool.

Bus

Commuter Rail

Heavy Rail

Demand Response

Light Rail

Vanpool

These modes provided the most transit service and change over the time frame considered, 1995 through 2004. The remaining modes (aerial tramway, automated guideway, cable car, ferryboat, inclined plane, jitney, monorail, publico, trolleybus and alaska railroad) are combined in the single category “other”.

Rounding may lead to minor variations in total values from one table to another for similar data or may lead to instances where percentages may not add to 100. Due to rounding, percent changes may not match exactly the values calculated using the formatted figures shown in the exhibits.

All dollar amounts are the actual figures reported and have not been adjusted to reflect inflation for the timeframe considered (21.2 percent from 1995 through 2004).

For information about National Transit Database publications and training, see FTA’s website at

http://www.fta.dot.gov

or visit the National Transit Database website at

http://www.ntdprogram.com

Transit in the United States

Concepts

Federal funds applied to transit are Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Urbanized Area Formula Program funds (financial assistance used to offset operating costs and pay for capital projects).

Unlinked passenger trips are the number of patrons boarding public transportation vehicles.

Comments

Ridership increased by 7 percent from 1985 to 2004. During the same period, Federal assistance applied to transit increased by nearly 108 percent.

Federal Funds Applied to Transit (Millions) 1985 — 2004

Unlinked Passenger Trips (Millions) 1985 — 2004

Concepts

Transit agencies that receive or benefit from Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Urbanized Area Formula Program funds (capital or operating) are required to report selected transit data to the National Transit Database (NTD) program. In addition, transit agencies not receiving FTA funds are encouraged to submit data, providing a more complete picture of public transit throughout the United States. These transit agencies report financial (capital and operating) data and non-financial operating statistics by transit mode. A total of 640 transit agencies reported data in 2004.

Comments

• The number of bus systems increased in the last 10 years (81 new systems).
• Demand response increased by nearly 19 percent (71 new systems) over the same period, reflecting the need to provide special transit service for the elderly and people with disabilities.
• Vanpool more than doubled the number of systems from 1995 to 2004.

Number of Agencies Reporting — Bus (*) 1995 — 2004

(*) Does not include agencies receiving reporting waivers

Number of Agencies Reporting — Demand Response 1995 — 2004

Number of Agencies Reporting — Light Rail 1995 — 2004

Number of Agencies Reporting — Vanpool 1995 — 2004

(*) Due to several report deletions.

Number of Agencies Reporting 1995 — 2004

(*) Bus data does not include agencies receiving reporting waivers.

Concepts

Vehicle revenue miles are the miles a transit vehicle travels while in revenue service. A transit vehicle is in revenue service when the vehicle is available to the public with the expectation of carrying passengers. Passengers pay full fares, reduced fares (senior citizen, student, special ride fares, etc.), or provide payment through some contractual agreement.

Deadhead travel is not included in vehicle revenue miles. Deadhead mileage consists of the miles a transit vehicle travels while not in revenue service (leaving or returning to the garage or yard or changing routes).

Comments

Vehicle revenue miles increased by nearly 30 percent between 1995 and 2004. Modes showing the most significant growth are those that had an increase in the number of systems in operation during the period.

• Light rail – 97 percent
• Demand response – 90 percent
• Vanpool – 251 percent

Vehicle Revenue Miles (Millions) 1995 — 2004

Vehicle Revenue Miles (Millions) 1995 — 2004

Vehicle Revenue Miles (Millions) — Bus 1995 — 2004

Vehicle Revenue Miles (Millions) — Demand Response 1995 — 2004

Vehicle Revenue Miles (Millions) — Light Rail 1995 — 2004

Vehicle Revenue Miles (Millions) — Heavy Rail 1995 — 2004

Vehicle Revenue Miles (Millions) — Commuter Rail 1995 — 2004

Vehicle Revenue Miles (Millions) — Vanpool 1995 — 2004

Comments

Ridership increased by nearly 19 percent from 1995 to 2004.

Unlinked Passenger Trips (Millions) 1995 — 2004

Unlinked Passenger Trips (Millions) — Bus 1995 — 2004

Unlinked Passenger Trips (Millions) — Demand Response 1995 — 2004

Unlinked Passenger Trips (Millions) — Light Rail 1995 — 2004

Unlinked Passenger Trips (Millions) — Heavy Rail 1995 — 2004

Unlinked Passenger Trips (Millions) — Commuter Rail 1995 — 2004

Unlinked Passenger Trips (Millions) — Vanpool 1995 — 2004

The share of vehicle revenue miles for demand response has steadily increased from slightly less than 11 percent in 1995 to 16 percent in 2004 while the share of vehicle revenue miles for bus decreased from 58 percent to 53 percent.

At the same time, the share of unlinked passenger trips for demand response remained below 1 percent, illustrating the low capacity nature of this service, while the share of unlinked passenger trips for bus decreased from nearly 62 percent in 1995 to 57 percent in 2004.

Distribution of Vehicle Revenue Miles

Distribution of Unlinked Passenger Trips

Concepts

Urbanized areas (as defined by the U.S. Census) are geographic areas with a population of 50,000 or more. According to the 2000 U.S. Census, there are 465 urbanized areas. For National Transit Database purposes, the NTST groups urbanized areas by three size categories:

1. Large urbanized areas: population of more than 1 million (38 urbanized areas, 227 agencies or 35.4 percent of all agencies reporting).
2. Medium urbanized areas: population of more than 200,000 and less than 1 million (114 urbanized areas and 166 agencies or 5.9 percent of all agencies reporting).
3. Small urbanized areas: population of less than 200,000 and more than 50,000 (313 urbanized areas, 247 agencies or 38.6 percent of all agencies reporting).

Comments

National Transit Database data are highly concentrated in large urbanized areas. The reported data most heavily concentrated in large urbanized areas are:

• Capital investments in facilities and others — 94.1 percent
• Passenger fares — 93.7 percent
• Unlinked passenger trips — 90.5 percent.

Relative Impact of the Data by UZA Size Group – 2004

Operating Costs and Performance Measures

Concepts

Operating expenses are those expenses incurred by transit agencies that are associated with operating mass transportation services (vehicle operations, maintenance and administration). Reconciling items are expenses where accounting practices vary in the way transit agencies handle them due to local requirements. The NTST excludes reconciling items such as depreciation, interest expenses, leases and rentals.

Comments

Operating expenses increased nearly 57 percent over the last 10 years, a rate higher than inflation over the same period (21.2 percent). The modes showing the highest increases were light rail, demand response and vanpool. These increases reflect the addition of new systems during the same period.

Total Operating Expense (Millions) 1995 — 2004

Total Operating Expense (Millions) by Mode 1995 — 2004
*Note: Vanpool data not represented above:
1995 - $17.0, 1996 - $17.8, 1997 - $22.7, 1998 - $28.4, 1999 - $31.6, 2000 - $32.2, 2001 - $34.2, 2002 - $38.6, 2003 - $45.8, 2004 - $57.1

Concepts

Operating expense data is reported by mode, function and object class. Function refers to the activity performed or cost center of a transit agency. Object class refers to groupings of expenses on the basis of goods or services purchased.

The four functions are:

1. Vehicle operations
2. Vehicle maintenance
3. Non-vehicle maintenance
4. General administration.

Comments

The transit industry is labor intensive. Salaries, wages and fringe benefits account for nearly 80 percent of the total directly operated expenditures. Fifty-two percent of total expenditures are devoted to vehicle operations.

Operating Expense — 2004

Concepts

Cost effectiveness is the relationship between service inputs and service consumption.

Service input is the quantity of resources expended to produce transit service, expressed in either monetary or non-monetary terms. Examples include operating cost (dollars expended for operations, maintenance and administration), employee hours (total operating, maintenance or administration), capital investment and energy (fuel cost or volume).

Service consumption is the amount of service used by the public expressed in either monetary or non-monetary terms. Examples include unlinked passenger trips, passenger miles and operating revenue.

Comments

Overall, operating expense per unlinked passenger trip increased 32 percent over the last 10 years, a rate nearly 11 percent greater than inflation (21.2 percent). With the exception of heavy rail all modes had increases greater than inflation.

Operating Expense per Unlinked Passenger Trip 1995 — 2004

Operating Expense per Unlinked Passenger Trip 1995 — 2004

Operating Expense per Unlinked Passenger Trip for Bus and Rail Modes 1995 — 2004

Concepts

Cost efficiency is the relationship between service inputs and service outputs.

Service output is the quantity of service produced by a transit operator, expressed in non-monetary terms. Examples include vehicle hours (total and revenue), vehicle miles (total and revenue), capacity miles (total vehicle capacity times revenue mileage), service reliability (miles between system failures) and safety (number of accidents).

Comments

Overall, operating expense per vehicle revenue hour increased by approximately 20 percent over the last 10 years (inflation not factored into the rate).

Total Operating Expense per Vehicle Revenue Hour 1995 — 2004

Operating Expense per Vehicle Revenue Hour 1995 — 2004

Concepts

Service effectiveness is the relationship between service outputs and service consumption.

Comments

Unlinked passenger trips per vehicle revenue hour decreased by 9 percent from 1995 to 2004. This was due to increased service supplied for bus mode in low density urbanized areas and increased demand for low capacity modes such as demand response and vanpool.

Unlinked Passenger Trip per Vehicle Revenue Hour 1995 — 2004

Unlinked Passenger Trip per Vehicle Revenue Hour 1995 — 2004

Quality of Transit Service

Concepts

A fatality is defined as a transit-caused death confirmed within 30 days following an accident.

Individuals Involved

Fatalities are categorized according to six categories of individuals:

1. Passengers: A person who is on board a transit vehicle or who is boarding / alighting, including those using ramps and lifts.
2. Transit facility occupants: A person who is inside the public passenger area of transit revenue facility. Employees, other workers or trespassers are not transit facility occupants.
3. Employees: An individual who is compensated by the transit agency.
4. Other workers: A person who is not employed by the transit agency or a purchased transportation (PT) provider contracted to provide specific services to the transit agency.
5. Trespassers: A person in an area of the transit property that is prohibited for public use.
6.   Others: A person who is not a passenger, transit facility occupant, employee, other worker or trespasser.

Total Fatalities (*) 1995 — 2004

(*) Data excludes suicides and Commuter Rail.  Data is reported by calendar year.

Total Fatalities 1995 — 2004

Comments

Most victims in transit-related accidents are non-passengers. Passenger fatalities account for 16.1 percent of all fatalities (excluding suicides).

Reliability

Concepts

A major failure is a failure of a mechanical or electrical component of a revenue vehicle that prevents the vehicle from completing a scheduled revenue trip, starting the next revenue trip because actual movement is limited, or because of safety concerns.

Mechanical failures include, but are not limited to: the breakdown of air equipment, brakes, doors, engine cooling system, steering and front axle, rear axle and suspension and torque converters.

Vehicle miles are the total miles that a vehicle travels while in service (actual vehicle revenue miles and deadhead miles). See Transit in the United States for definitions of vehicle revenue miles and deadhead miles.

Comments

Due to changes in the definition of major and minor system failures over the years, only the years 2001 through 2004 are shown in the NTST.

Miles between major system failures increased by 16 percent from 2001 through 2004 and may be related to a reduction in the bus average fleet age.

Miles between Major System Failures — Bus 2001 — 2004

Miles between Major System Failures (Directly Operated Service) 2001 — 2004

ADA Compliance — Bus

Concepts

The American with Disabilities Act of 1990 requires transit agencies be accessible to individuals with special needs. For the NTST, buses fall into the following categories:

• Type “A” are equipped with more than 35 seats
• Type “B” are equipped with 25 – 35 seats
• Type “C” are equipped with less than 25 seats
• Articulated buses are extra-long buses that measure between 54 and 60 feet.

Comments

Historically, type “C” buses have comprised the largest percentage of lift- or ramp-equipped vehicles, currently showing a 99 percent level of compliance. This is expected due to this class’ low average fleet age.

• Type “B” bus compliance increased from 66 percent in 1995 to 100 percent in 2004.
• Type “C” bus compliance increased from 84.5 percent in 1995 to 98.5 percent in 2004.
• Articulated bus compliance increased from 50.2 percent in 1995 to 99.8 percent in 2004.

Note: Data are not available prior to 1993.

ADA Lift- or Ramp-Equipped Buses 1995 — 2004

Funding Transit Operations

Concepts

Operating funds are the funds transit agencies receive from Federal, state, local and directly generated sources that are applied for operating expenditures. These funds are applied in the year in which they resulted in liabilities for benefits received whether or not receipt of the funds actually took place within the report year.

Federal funds are financial assistance used to defray some of the operating costs to provide transit service.

Comments

Operating funds applied to transit operations increased 57 percent, a rate greater than inflation during the period (21.2 percent).

Total Operating Funding (Millions) 1995 — 2004

Federal Operating Assistance as a Percentage of Operating Funds 1995 — 2004

Total Federal Operating Assistance per Passenger 1995 — 2004

Federal Operating Assistance per Passenger by Urbanized Area Size 1995 — 2004

Recovery Ratio 1995 — 2004

Concepts

Fare revenues are funds earned carrying passengers in regularly scheduled service. It includes the base fare, zone premiums, express service premiums, extra cost transfers and quality purchase discounts applicable to the passenger’s ride.

Recovery ratio (also known as working ratio) is the percentage of operating funds applied (operating expenses) paid through fare revenues.

Comments

After a period of increase and then decrease, recovery ratio is at an all time low.

Recovery Ratio by Urbanized Area Size 1995 — 2004

Note: In previous editions of the NTST, recovery ratio was calculated based on operating expenses net of reconciling items. Beginning with the 2004 report year all operating funds applied are included for the 1995 – 2004 timeframe.

Concepts

Subsidies are financial assistance received from Federal, state and local governments. Subsidies also include directly generated funds including: grants from private foundations, directly levied taxes and other funds dedicated to transit.

Comments

Subsidy per passenger increased approximately 49 percent over the last 10 years, while the rate of inflation was 21.2 percent.

Medium and small urbanized areas had a rate of increase greater than the rate for large urbanized areas. This is due in part to the expansion of fixed route service in low-density areas combined with the expansion in demand response services. Demand response service accounts for a substantial portion of the service provided in medium and small urbanized areas.

Total Operating Subsidy per Passenger 1995 — 2004

Total Subsidy per Passenger by Urbanized Area Size 1995 — 2004

Concepts

Operating funding sources include:

• Fare revenues
• Federal assistance
• State assistance
• Local assistance
• Other funds.

Other funds include non-transportation funds, subsidies from other sectors of operations, auxiliary transportation funds, charter service, freight tariffs, school bus funds and directly levied taxes.

Comments

For large urbanized areas, state, local and other funding shares remained stable from 1995 to 2004.  A decrease in the share of fare revenues was compensated for by an increase in the share of Federal assistance.

Small and medium urbanized areas are more dependent upon operating subsidies than large urbanized areas. Fare revenues account for approximately 18 percent for these areas.

Operating Funding Sources (Millions) by Urbanized Area Size 1995 — 2004

UZAs with More than 1 Million Population

UZAs with More than 200,000 and Less than 1 Million Population

UZAs with Less than 200,000 Population

Comparison of Share Funding Sources by UZAs

UZAs with More than 1 Million Population

UZAs with More than 200,000 and Less than 1 Million Population

UZAs with Less than 200,000 Population

Concepts

Capital funds are the funds that the transit agencies receive from Federal, state, local and directly generated sources and applied to capital projects. Directly generated sources include any funds generated or donated directly to the transit agency including passenger fares, advertising revenues, donations and grants from private entities.

Comments

Capital investment increased by nearly 49 percent over the last 10 years, while inflation rose 21.1 percent. The role of the Federal government accounted on average for approximately 47 percent of all capital invested in transit.

Total Capital Assistance (Millions) 1995 — 2004

Federal Share of Total Capital Assistance 1995 — 2004

Comments

Federal assistance per unlinked passenger trip increased by 25 percent from 1995 — 2004.

Federal Capital Assistance per Unlinked Passenger Trip 1995 — 2004

Comments

Most of capital invested in transit comes from Federal sources. Federal funds account for most of all capital invested in small and medium urbanized areas. Large urbanized areas rely primarily on Federal funds and directly levied taxes to pay for capital projects.

Sources of Capital Assistance by Urbanized Area Size

Concepts

Uses of capital were reported until 2001 by mode in three major categories:

1. Rolling stock
2. Facilities
3. Other capital projects.

All exhibits depicting Uses of Capital show rolling stock, and combined facilities and other into a single category.

Currently, Uses of Capital include the following categories:

• Revenue vehicles: Vehicles used to provide transit service for passengers. Capital funds for revenue vehicles may be used for replacement, rehabilitation, remanufacture, rail overhaul and expansion of fleet.
• Guideway: Buildings and structures dedicated for the operation of transit vehicles such as: at grade, elevated and subway structures, tunnels, bridges, track and power systems for rail modes and paved highway lanes dedicated to bus.
• Systems: Computers, monitors, printers, scanners, data storage devices and associated software that support general office, accounting, scheduling, vehicle and non-vehicle maintenance and customer service functions.
• Fare revenue collection equipment:  Includes capital expenses for the acquisition of fare revenue collection equipment such as turnstiles, fare boxes (drop), automated fare boxes, and related software, money changers, etc.
• Maintenance facilities: Central / overhaul maintenance facilities, light maintenance and storage facilities.
• Passenger stations: Boarding/alighting facilities with a platform, including: transportation / transit / transfer centers, park and ride facilities, and transit malls with the above components, including those only utilized by buses. Passenger stations do not include: bus, light rail, or cable car stops.
• Administration buildings: Include capital expenses for administrative buildings including the cost for design and engineering, land acquisition and relocations, demolition, and purchase or construction of administrative buildings.
• Other vehicles: Service, supervisory and other vehicles other than revenue vehicles.

Capital Expenditures (Millions) 1995 — 2004

Percent Share of Revenue Vehicles 1995 — 2004

Comments

Large and medium-sized urbanized areas operate almost all rail systems in the nation and guideway and facilities account for a significant portion of the overall capital costs.

For small urbanized areas, bus and demand response are the most common modes. Thus, most uses of capital are revenue vehicles and facilities.

Comments

Bus systems dedicate less capital to revenue vehicles than rail systems. Generally, rail systems are located in high-density corridors within the larger metropolitan areas of the United States. The high levels of service supplied in these areas require large investments in transit infrastructure (e.g. track, signals and communication systems, complex maintenance facilities, passenger stations, inter-modal terminals, real time data acquisition systems and other cost intensive items).

Bus systems do not require the same level of investment in infrastructure as rail. Therefore, revenue vehicles are the main use of capital for bus.

Note: Data are not available for 1991 and prior years.

Percent of Non-Revenue Vehicles by Mode 1993 — 2004

Bus Fleet

Concepts

Large, medium, small and articulated buses are rubber tired passenger vehicles powered by diesel gasoline, electric battery or other alternative fuel engines.

• Type “A” buses are equipped with more than 35 seats.
• Type “B” buses are equipped with 25-35 seats.
• Type “C” buses are equipped with 25 seats.
• Articulated buses are extra long buses that measure between 54 and 60 feet.

Comments

The average fleet age of type “C” buses have been stable over the last 10 years, while the average fleet age of large and medium buses decreased 17 percent and 16 percent respectively.

The average fleet age of articulated buses dropped significantly in the last 6 years (from 11.2 years old in 1998 to 4.6 years old in 2004).

Average Fleet Age (Years) by Vehicle Type 1995 — 2004

Comments

The share of articulated buses 5 years old or less increased from 23.5 percent in 1998 to 71.6 percent in 2004.

Average Bus Fleet Age (Years) 1995 — 2004

Percent of Bus Fleet 5 Years Old or Less by Vehicle Type 1995 — 2004

Concepts

Fixed guideway directional route miles are the miles in each direction that transit vehicles travel while in revenue service on fixed guideways (not high occupancy vehicle lanes, transit malls, bus ways, or railtrack).

Fixed guideway mileage is a measure of the route path over a facility or roadway, it does not measure the service carried on the facility. This mileage is computed with regard to direction of service and is recorded without regard to the number of traffic lanes or rail tracks existing on the right-of-way.

Comments

Bus fixed guideway directional route miles increased by nearly 102 percent over the period, while rail modes increased 19 percent.

Fixed Guideway Mileage — Bus 1995 — 2004

Fixed Guideway Mileage — Rail Modes 1995 — 2004

Concepts

Alternative fuels are not diesel or gasoline. They include compressed natural gas, electric, battery, ethanol, methanol, liquefied petroleum gas, liquefied natural gas, kerosene, bio-diesel, grain substitute and other fuels.

Comments

The share of the national bus fleet using alternative fuels rose from 2.8 percent in 1995 to 13.7 percent in 2004.

Percent of National Bus Fleet Using Alternative Fuels 1995 — 2004