Capital Area Transportation Authority
Lansing, MI · NTD ID 50036 · 2024 report year
Capital Area Transportation Authority carries 8.8 million passenger trips a year across two modes — bus and demand response — making it the 75th-busiest transit operator in the United States. It is based in Lansing, MI.
It spends $59.6 million a year running that service, or $6.74 per trip. Its bus service, the largest of its modes, costs $4.48 per rider — 68% below the $13.86 median for the 1,162 US agencies reporting bus.
Over the 10 years reported, ridership remains 20% below its 2019 level, the last full year before the pandemic, and up 16% on 2023. Fares cover 13% of operating cost.
Service by mode, 2024
| Mode | Annual trips | Operating expense | Cost per rider | vs national median | Farebox | Vehicles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bus#68 of 1,162 nationally | 8,474,506 | $38.0 million | $4.48 | -68% | 18% | 89 |
| Demand Response#62 of 1,920 nationally | 369,257 | $21.7 million | $58.63 | +54% | 3% | 93 |
Ridership, 2015–2024
| Year | Annual trips | Operating expense (2024 $) | Cost per rider (2024 $) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 8,843,763 | $59.6 million | $6.74 |
| 2023 | 7,633,877 | $62.4 million | $8.17 |
| 2022 | 5,399,227 | $55.5 million | $10.28 |
| 2021 | 3,030,644 | $62.6 million | $20.65 |
| 2020 | 7,306,550 | $70.2 million | $9.61 |
| 2019 | 11,049,330 | $67.3 million | $6.09 |
| 2018 | 10,384,586 | $58.3 million | $5.61 |
| 2017 | 10,241,340 | $56.6 million | $5.52 |
| 2016 | 10,804,538 | $55.9 million | $5.17 |
| 2015 | 11,070,174 | $63.2 million | $5.71 |
Where Capital Area Transportation Authority ranks
- Cheapest Bus Systems by Cost per Rider #2 of 40
- Best Farebox Recovery Among Large Bus Systems #13 of 40
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Ask NTD about Capital Area Transportation Authority →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.