Central Florida Regional Transportation Authority
Orlando, FL · NTD ID 40035 · 2024 report year
Central Florida Regional Transportation Authority carries 19.6 million passenger trips a year across four modes — bus, demand response, bus rapid transit and vanpool — making it the 42nd-busiest transit operator in the United States. It is based in Orlando, FL.
It spends $206 million a year running that service, or $10.52 per trip. Its bus service, the largest of its modes, costs $8.59 per rider — 38% below the $13.86 median for the 1,162 US agencies reporting bus.
Over the 10 years reported, ridership remains 22% below its 2019 level, the last full year before the pandemic, and up 7% on 2023. Fares cover 11% of operating cost.
Service by mode, 2024
| Mode | Annual trips | Operating expense | Cost per rider | vs national median | Farebox | Vehicles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bus#36 of 1,162 nationally | 18,217,346 | $156 million | $8.59 | -38% | 12% | 264 |
| Demand Response#30 of 1,920 nationally | 721,216 | $43.5 million | $60.25 | +58% | 7% | 163 |
| Bus Rapid Transit#17 of 20 nationally | 416,414 | $3.9 million | $9.35 | +48% | — | 8 |
| Vanpool#26 of 113 nationally | 266,493 | $2.6 million | $9.89 | +40% | 28% | 121 |
Ridership, 2015–2024
| Year | Annual trips | Operating expense (2024 $) | Cost per rider (2024 $) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 19,621,469 | $206 million | $10.52 |
| 2023 | 18,418,220 | $185 million | $10.03 |
| 2022 | 16,731,232 | $158 million | $9.47 |
| 2021 | 14,130,531 | $158 million | $11.18 |
| 2020 | 17,706,167 | $169 million | $9.52 |
| 2019 | 25,020,518 | $169 million | $6.76 |
| 2018 | 25,117,921 | $166 million | $6.60 |
| 2017 | 26,031,038 | $160 million | $6.16 |
| 2016 | 27,378,837 | $152 million | $5.55 |
| 2015 | 29,377,113 | $150 million | $5.10 |
Where Central Florida Regional Transportation Authority ranks
- Cheapest Bus Systems by Cost per Rider #38 of 40
- Highest-Ridership Bus Agencies #36 of 40
- Best Farebox Recovery Among Large Bus Systems #27 of 40
- Highest-Ridership Bus Rapid Transit Systems #17 of 20
- Most Expensive Demand-Response (Paratransit) Services by Cost per Rider #19 of 40
- Highest-Ridership Demand-Response (Paratransit) Services #30 of 40
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Ask NTD about Central Florida Regional 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.