New FTA report shows U.S. transit ridership on the rise

Transit ridership in the U.S. continues to rise, growing by more than 17 percent from 2022 to 2023, according to a recent report from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) on transit trends.

The report notes transit agencies provided 6.9 billion trips in 2023, an increase of 17.3 percent from 2022. Those same transit agencies moved passengers 35 billion miles, an increase of almost 17 percent from 2022. According to the report, with that year-over-year-growth, public transportation grew nearly twice as fast as domestic air travel between 2022 and 2023.

"Our nation's public transportation systems continue to punch above their weight, providing billions of trips covering billions of miles for millions of people all across our nation," said FTA Deputy Administrator Veronica Vanterpool. "This report shows an upward trend in people using transit, which provides many benefits, including less time wasted in traffic, fewer carbon emissions and better air quality."

The report notes public transportation is also a jobs generator, as in the past year, 10,000 new workers have entered the transit industry, and salaries have increased more than $1 billion. At the end of 2023, more than 388,000 people worked in public transportation, filling jobs in operations, maintenance and administration. ......................(more)

https://www.masstransitmag.com/management/press-release/55259857/federal-transit-administration-fta-new-fta-report-shows-us-transit-ridership-on-the-rise