Capital District Transportation Authority
Albany, NY · NTD ID 20002 · 2024 report year
Capital District Transportation Authority carries 16.6 million passenger trips a year across four modes — bus, demand response, commuter bus and vanpool — making it the 48th-busiest transit operator in the United States. It is based in Albany, NY.
It spends $134 million a year running that service, or $8.10 per trip. Its bus service, the largest of its modes, costs $6.29 per rider — 55% below the $13.86 median for the 1,162 US agencies reporting bus.
Over the 10 years reported, ridership is 6% above its 2019 level, the last full year before the pandemic, and up 20% on 2023. Fares cover 16% of operating cost.
Service by mode, 2024
| Mode | Annual trips | Operating expense | Cost per rider | vs national median | Farebox | Vehicles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bus#39 of 1,162 nationally | 15,918,164 | $100 million | $6.29 | -55% | 20% | 224 |
| Demand Response#49 of 1,920 nationally | 479,518 | $31.0 million | $64.71 | +70% | 3% | 95 |
| Commuter Bus#53 of 153 nationally | 100,960 | $2.7 million | $26.93 | -6% | 10% | 9 |
| Vanpool#46 of 113 nationally | 81,771 | $503,975 | $6.16 | -13% | 109% | 35 |
Ridership, 2015–2024
| Year | Annual trips | Operating expense (2024 $) | Cost per rider (2024 $) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 16,580,413 | $134 million | $8.10 |
| 2023 | 13,833,236 | $122 million | $8.80 |
| 2022 | 11,587,810 | $129 million | $11.14 |
| 2021 | 9,906,386 | $128 million | $12.94 |
| 2020 | 15,244,142 | $114 million | $7.45 |
| 2019 | 15,683,929 | $106 million | $6.75 |
| 2018 | 16,344,326 | $110 million | $6.74 |
| 2017 | 16,757,083 | $104 million | $6.22 |
| 2016 | 17,121,893 | $102 million | $5.95 |
| 2015 | 16,876,832 | $98.5 million | $5.84 |
Where Capital District Transportation Authority ranks
- Cheapest Bus Systems by Cost per Rider #14 of 40
- Highest-Ridership Bus Agencies #39 of 40
- Best Farebox Recovery Among Large Bus Systems #7 of 40
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Ask NTD about Capital District 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.