Central Puget Sound Regional Transit Authority
Seattle, WA · NTD ID 00040 · 2024 report year
Central Puget Sound Regional Transit Authority carries 41.9 million passenger trips a year across five modes — light rail, commuter bus, commuter rail, streetcar and bus — making it the 26th-busiest transit operator in the United States. It is based in Seattle, WA.
It spends $603 million a year running that service, or $14.37 per trip. Its light rail service, the largest of its modes, costs $11.04 per rider — 5% below the $11.57 median for the 22 US agencies reporting light rail.
Over the 10 years reported, ridership remains 12% below its 2019 level, the last full year before the pandemic, and up 12% on 2023. Fares cover 10% of operating cost.
Service by mode, 2024
| Mode | Annual trips | Operating expense | Cost per rider | vs national median | Farebox | Vehicles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light Rail#4 of 22 nationally | 29,843,190 | $330 million | $11.04 | -5% | 12% | 166 |
| Commuter Bus#2 of 153 nationally | 8,737,923 | $155 million | $17.78 | -38% | 10% | 156 |
| Commuter Rail#13 of 27 nationally | 1,916,429 | $91.6 million | $47.81 | +8% | 7% | 63 |
| Streetcar#11 of 25 nationally | 992,082 | $18.0 million | $18.11 | +82% | 2% | 6 |
| Bus#374 of 1,162 nationally | 459,544 | $8.1 million | $17.70 | +28% | 13% | 38 |
Ridership, 2015–2024
| Year | Annual trips | Operating expense (2024 $) | Cost per rider (2024 $) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 41,949,168 | $603 million | $14.37 |
| 2023 | 37,571,636 | $484 million | $12.88 |
| 2022 | 32,014,474 | $438 million | $13.69 |
| 2021 | 17,768,904 | $429 million | $24.16 |
| 2020 | 15,870,047 | $424 million | $26.71 |
| 2019 | 47,805,583 | $413 million | $8.63 |
| 2018 | 48,188,694 | $388 million | $8.04 |
| 2017 | 46,795,663 | $340 million | $7.27 |
| 2016 | 42,732,202 | $330 million | $7.72 |
| 2015 | 34,668,278 | $285 million | $8.21 |
Where Central Puget Sound Regional Transit Authority ranks
- Cheapest Light Rail Systems by Cost per Rider #11 of 22
- Most Expensive Light Rail Systems by Cost per Rider #12 of 22
- Highest-Ridership Light Rail Systems #4 of 22
- Cheapest Commuter Rail Systems by Cost per Rider #17 of 24
- Most Expensive Commuter Rail Systems by Cost per Rider #8 of 24
- Highest-Ridership Commuter Rail Systems #13 of 27
- Best Farebox Recovery Among Commuter Rail Systems #20 of 24
- Highest-Ridership Streetcar Systems #11 of 25
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Ask NTD about Central Puget Sound Regional Transit 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.