City of Detroit
Detroit, MI · NTD ID 50119 · 2024 report year
City of Detroit carries 13.2 million passenger trips a year across two modes — bus and demand response — making it the 56th-busiest transit operator in the United States, and the largest in Michigan. It is based in Detroit, MI.
It spends $120 million a year running that service, or $9.13 per trip. Its bus service, the largest of its modes, costs $8.53 per rider — 38% below the $13.86 median for the 1,162 US agencies reporting bus.
Over the 10 years reported, ridership remains 42% below its 2019 level, the last full year before the pandemic, and up 26% on 2023. Fares cover 7% of operating cost.
Service by mode, 2024
| Mode | Annual trips | Operating expense | Cost per rider | vs national median | Farebox | Vehicles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bus#44 of 1,162 nationally | 12,857,631 | $110 million | $8.53 | -38% | 7% | 178 |
| Demand Response#78 of 1,920 nationally | 301,629 | $10.5 million | $34.91 | -8% | 7% | 83 |
Ridership, 2015–2024
| Year | Annual trips | Operating expense (2024 $) | Cost per rider (2024 $) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 13,159,260 | $120 million | $9.13 |
| 2023 | 10,471,273 | $112 million | $10.74 |
| 2022 | 8,812,457 | $110 million | $12.43 |
| 2021 | 8,828,405 | $104 million | $11.83 |
| 2020 | 18,705,653 | $123 million | $6.55 |
| 2019 | 22,751,799 | $143 million | $6.27 |
| 2018 | 23,827,170 | $132 million | $5.56 |
| 2017 | 24,894,081 | $149 million | $5.99 |
| 2016 | 27,416,184 | $140 million | $5.09 |
| 2015 | 24,183,867 | $135 million | $5.58 |
Where City of Detroit ranks
- Cheapest Bus Systems by Cost per Rider #36 of 40
Ask a different question
These are the headline figures. Ask NTD answers the rest in plain English — by mode, by year, against any other agency.
Ask NTD about City of Detroit →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.