New APTA Reports Show Strong Industry Growth

APTA released two reports, May 14, with new data showing U.S. ridership has rebounded to 85 percent of pre-pandemic levels—surpassing that of office occupancy, which remains at 52 percent.

APTA’s 75^th edition of the Public Transportation Fact Book and its latest Ridership Policy Brief highlight the sector’s rebound, with public transit agencies delivering 7.7 billion passenger trips in 2024—491 million more than the previous year.

“We’re seeing remarkable recovery across all modes of public transportation, demonstrating the resilience and ongoing importance of public transit and passenger rail in connecting our communities,” said APTA President and CEO Paul P. Skoutelas. “Ridership continues to rebound despite limited office attendance, proving that public transportation serves far more than traditional commuters. Our systems are vital lifelines for taking people to work, school, healthcare, and special community events.”

APTA found that bus ridership has shown a particularly strong resurgence since bus riders tend to be younger and work in service industry jobs that require in-person attendance.

APTA also found that ridership patterns vary based on city size; in general, smaller cities have restored their ridership to higher levels than that of larger cities.

Bus ridership has recovered to 86 percent of 2019 levels, leading all fixed-route transit modes. Rail modes have recovered to 72 percent of 2019 levels, with continued growth expected. The highest recovery rate is for demand-response services, which has recovered to 93 percent.