Transit in the United States

Total Federal Assistance (Capital and Operating) Applied to Transit and Unlinked Passenger Trips

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) and other Federal funds.

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

Comments

Ridership (*) increased by 20.3 percent from 1988 to 2007. During the same period, Federal assistance applied to transit increased by nearly 60 percent (constant 2000 dollars).

Figure 1: Federal Funds Applied to Transit 1988 – 2007

Figure 2: Unlinked Passenger Trips 1988 – 2007

(*) Note: Unlinked passenger trips were adjusted for all years prior to 2007 to correct a bias reported by a large heavy rail operator.

Number of Transit Agencies

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 671 transit agencies reported data in 2007.

Comments

The number of bus systems increased in the last 10 years (70 new systems).

Demand response increased by nearly 16 percent (65 new systems) over the same period, reflecting the need to provide special transit service for elderly individuals and individuals with disabilities.

Vanpool increased by 78 percent (25 new systems) during the 10 year period.

Figure 3: Number of Agencies Reporting by Mode 2006 – 2007

Figure 4: Number of Agencies Reporting by Mode 1998 – 2007

(*) Data does not include agencies receiving nine or fewer vehicles waiver.

Vehicle Revenue Miles

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 27 percent between 1998 and 200 over all modes. Modes showing the most significant growth are those that had an increase in the number of systems in operation during the period.

Light rail – 95 percent

Demand response – 66 percent

Vanpool – 141 percent

Figure 5: Vehicle Revenue Miles by Mode 2006 – 2007 (Millions)

Figure 6: Vehicle Revenue Miles by Mode 1998 – 2007 (Millions)

Unlinked Passenger Trips by Mode

Comments

Ridership increased by over 18 percent from 1998 to 2007.

Figure 7: Unlinked Passenger Trips by Mode 2006 – 2007 (Millions)

(*) 2006 data adjusted to correct a bias reported by a large heavy rail operator.

Figure 8: Unlinked Passenger Trips by Mode 1998 – 2007 (Millions)

Distribution of Vehicle Revenue Miles and Unlinked Passenger Trips by Mode

The share of vehicle revenue miles for demand response has steadily increased from slightly more than 13 percent in 1998 to 17 percent in 2007 while the share of vehicle revenue miles for bus decreased from 56 percent to 51 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 56 percent in 1998 to 53 percent in 2007.

(*) 1998 data adjusted to correct a bias reported by a large heavy rail operator.

Relative Impact on Data by UZA Size Group

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:

Large urbanized areas: population of more than 1 million (38 urbanized areas, 219 agencies or 33 percent of all agencies reporting).

Medium urbanized areas: population of more than 200,000 and less than 1 million (114 urbanized areas and 166 agencies or 25 percent of all agencies reporting).

Small urbanized areas: population of less than 200,000 and more than 50,000 (313 urbanized areas, 286 agencies or 43 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 other categories — 92 percent

Passenger fares — 93 percent

Unlinked passenger trips — 90 percent

Figure 13: Relative Impact of the Data by UZA Size Group – 2007

Rural Transit

Concepts

Rural areas are, by US Census definition, areas with a population of less than 50,000. Because these areas may be quite large, rural areas usually have low population density. For report year 2007, 1,293 sub recipients submitted data to the NTD through their State Departments of Transportation incorporating data for 2,275 counties nationwide.

Types of service in the Rural module correspond to the modes included in the Annual (urban, over 50,000 population) module but bus is broken down into four categories (fixed route, deviated fixed route, fixed and deviated and private intercity bus service). For definitions of modes and types of service refer to the NTD Glossary available at www.NTDprogram.gov.

Comments

Due to the low population density of rural areas, types of service such as demand response and bus – deviated fixed route are the most common in rural transit and accounted for 82 percent of all rural service in 2007.

Figure 14: Types of Rural Service – 2007

Operating and Capital Funding - Rural

Concepts

Sources of funds (operating and capital) include assistance (local, state and federal and funds generated by the service providers (fares and contract revenues).

Several FTA funding categories were added for the 2007 report year in addition to FTA’s Section 5311 - the non-urbanized area program. 

They are:

Section 5309 - FTA Capital Program

Section 5310 - FTA Special Needs of Elderly Individuals and Individuals with Disabilities Program

Section 5316 - FTA Job Access and Reverse Commute Program

Section 5317 - FTA New Freedom Program

Section 5320 - FTA Alternative Transportation in Parks and Public Lands Program

Comments

Rural transit operating budgets required 74 percent from federal, state and local assistance, and 26 percent from directly generated funds.

Rural transit capital budgets relied mostly on Federal assistance, accounting for nearly three-fourths of all capital applied.

Service Supplied and Consumed

Rural performance measures are typical of service provided in low density areas such as low recovery ratios, and high cost per trip among others.