City and County of San Francisco
San Francisco, CA · NTD ID 90015 · 2024 report year
City and County of San Francisco carries 161 million passenger trips a year across six modes — bus, trolleybus, light rail, cable car, streetcar and demand response — making it the 8th-busiest transit operator in the United States. It is based in San Francisco, CA.
It spends $1.13 billion a year running that service, or $7.03 per trip. Its bus service, the largest of its modes, costs $6.59 per rider — 52% below the $13.86 median for the 1,162 US agencies reporting bus.
Over the 10 years reported, ridership remains 28% below its 2019 level, the last full year before the pandemic, and up 15% on 2023. Fares cover 9% of operating cost.
Service by mode, 2024
| Mode | Annual trips | Operating expense | Cost per rider | vs national median | Farebox | Vehicles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bus#9 of 1,162 nationally | 77,857,337 | $513 million | $6.59 | -52% | 8% | 364 |
| Trolleybus#1 of 4 nationally | 46,447,945 | $238 million | $5.12 | -9% | 10% | 158 |
| Light Rail#5 of 22 nationally | 28,230,682 | $241 million | $8.53 | -26% | 6% | 109 |
| Cable Car#1 of 1 nationally | 3,925,803 | $81.0 million | $20.64 | 0% | 22% | 26 |
| Streetcar#2 of 25 nationally | 3,828,113 | $31.7 million | $8.29 | -17% | 6% | 14 |
| Demand Response#97 of 1,920 nationally | 254,113 | $23.2 million | $91.19 | +140% | 2% | 106 |
Ridership, 2015–2024
| Year | Annual trips | Operating expense (2024 $) | Cost per rider (2024 $) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 160,543,993 | $1.13 billion | $7.03 |
| 2023 | 139,127,693 | $1.00 billion | $7.21 |
| 2022 | 102,696,310 | $987 million | $9.62 |
| 2021 | 61,756,689 | $880 million | $14.24 |
| 2020 | 170,594,316 | $1.10 billion | $6.42 |
| 2019 | 223,338,056 | $1.05 billion | $4.70 |
| 2018 | 225,056,242 | $1.07 billion | $4.77 |
| 2017 | 226,261,960 | $1.05 billion | $4.64 |
| 2016 | 232,827,475 | $1.05 billion | $4.51 |
| 2015 | 220,119,336 | $986 million | $4.48 |
Where City and County of San Francisco ranks
- Cheapest Light Rail Systems by Cost per Rider #8 of 22
- Most Expensive Light Rail Systems by Cost per Rider #15 of 22
- Highest-Ridership Light Rail Systems #5 of 22
- Cheapest Bus Systems by Cost per Rider #18 of 40
- Highest-Ridership Bus Agencies #9 of 40
- Highest-Ridership Streetcar Systems #2 of 25
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Ask NTD about City and County of San Francisco →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.