Ben Franklin Transit
Richland, WA · NTD ID 00018 · 2024 report year
Ben Franklin Transit carries 3.5 million passenger trips a year across three modes — bus, demand response and vanpool — making it the 140th-busiest transit operator in the United States. It is based in Richland, WA.
It spends $51.2 million a year running that service, or $14.51 per trip. Its bus service, the largest of its modes, costs $10.54 per rider — 24% below the $13.86 median for the 1,162 US agencies reporting bus.
Over the 10 years reported, ridership is 13% above its 2019 level, the last full year before the pandemic, and up 11% on 2023. Fares cover 4% of operating cost.
Service by mode, 2024
| Mode | Annual trips | Operating expense | Cost per rider | vs national median | Farebox | Vehicles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bus#132 of 1,162 nationally | 2,786,983 | $29.4 million | $10.54 | -24% | 3% | 51 |
| Demand Response#52 of 1,920 nationally | 411,452 | $19.8 million | $48.05 | +26% | 1% | 100 |
| Vanpool#22 of 113 nationally | 328,141 | $2.0 million | $6.22 | -12% | 49% | 143 |
Ridership, 2015–2024
| Year | Annual trips | Operating expense (2024 $) | Cost per rider (2024 $) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 3,526,576 | $51.2 million | $14.51 |
| 2023 | 3,178,377 | $48.6 million | $15.29 |
| 2022 | 2,397,563 | $48.5 million | $20.23 |
| 2021 | 1,797,039 | $42.5 million | $23.63 |
| 2020 | 1,613,413 | $48.2 million | $29.90 |
| 2019 | 3,126,689 | $46.8 million | $14.97 |
| 2018 | 3,120,955 | $45.7 million | $14.64 |
| 2017 | 3,301,942 | $44.3 million | $13.42 |
| 2016 | 3,632,286 | $40.9 million | $11.27 |
| 2015 | 3,956,125 | $40.7 million | $10.29 |
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Ask NTD about Ben Franklin Transit →Source & method. Figures are from the Federal Transit Administration's National Transit Database (NTD) annual reporting for 2024, the most recent published report year. Cost per rider is operating expense divided by unlinked passenger trips. Farebox recovery is fare revenue divided by operating expense. Ten-year trends are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; single-year figures are as reported. Agencies self-report to the NTD, and reporting practice varies, so figures are best read as comparable in magnitude rather than to the cent.