The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 requires transit agencies be accessible to individuals with special needs. For the NTST, buses fall into the following categories:
Historically, type “C” buses have comprised the largest percentage of lift- or ramp-equipped vehicles, currently showing a 98.5 percent level of compliance. This is expected due to this class’ low average fleet age.
Figure 34: ADA Compliance - Bus
Operating funds are the funds transit agencies receive from Federal, state, local and directly generated sources that are applied to 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 the financial assistance used to defray some of the operating costs of providing transit service.
Operating funds applied to transit operations increased 41 percent over the last 10 years.
Figure 35: Total Operating Funds 1999 – 2008
Figure 36: Federal Operating Assistance as a Percentage of Operating Funds 1999 - 2008
Figure 37: Total Federal Operating Assistance per Trip 1999 - 2008
Figure 38: Federal Operating Assistance per Trip by Urbanized Area Size 1999 - 2008
Fare revenues are funds earned through 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.
Figure 39: Farebox Recovery Ratio by Urbanized Area Size 1999 – 2008
Figure 40: Recovery Ratio (*) 1999 - 2008
(The Recovery ratio shows a slight increase in 2008 following the 2007 implementation of GASB (Government Accounting Standards Board) by many large transit agencies. GASB requires transit agencies to accrue the cost of other post-employment benefits over the career of an employee and to disclose the amount of any unfunded liability. This new requirement significantly increased operating costs and initially affected agency recovery ratios.
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.
Subsidy per trip increased approximately 65 percent over the last 10 years.
Medium and small urbanized areas had a rate of increase greater than the rate of increase 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.
Figure 41: Total Operating Subsidy per Trip 1999 – 2008
Figure 42: Total Subsidy per Trip by Urbanized Area Size 1999 - 2008
Operating funding sources include:
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.
For large urbanized areas, the share of fare revenues decreased significantly from 1999-2008. A decrease in the share of fare revenues was compensated for by increases in Federal, state and local assistance.
Small and medium urbanized areas are more dependent upon operating subsidies than large urbanized areas. Fare revenues account for approximately 19 percent for these areas.
Comparison of Operating Funding Sources by UZAs
|
|
Figure 45: Equal to or More than 200,000 and Less than 1 Million Population – 1999 |
Figure 46: Equal to or More than 200,000 and Less than 1 Million Population – 2008 |
|
|
 |
 |
Capital funds are the funds that the transit agencies receive from Federal, state, local and directly generated sources and that are 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.
Capital investment increased by approximately 47 percent over the last 10 years. The role of the Federal government accounted on average for 43 percent of all capital invested in transit during the same period.
Figure 49: Total Capital Assistance — 1999 - 2008
Figure 50: Percent of Federal Share of Total Capital Assistance 1999 - 2008
Most of capital invested in transit comes from Federal sources. Federal funds account for a significant portion of all capital invested in small and medium urbanized areas. Large urbanized areas rely primarily on local and state funds and directly levied taxes to pay for capital projects.
Uses of Capital include the following categories:
Figure 54: Capital Expenditures — 1999 - 2008
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.
Figure 57: UZAs with Less than 200,000 Population
Bus systems require less capital investment 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.
Figure 58: Percent of Uses of Capital Net of Revenue Vehicles Capital Expenditures 1998 — 2008
