City of Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA · NTD ID 90147 · 2024 report year
City of Los Angeles carries 15.8 million passenger trips a year across three modes — bus, commuter bus and demand response — making it the 51st-busiest transit operator in the United States. It is based in Los Angeles, CA.
It spends $129 million a year running that service, or $8.19 per trip. Its bus service, the largest of its modes, costs $6.28 per rider — 55% below the $13.86 median for the 1,162 US agencies reporting bus.
Over the 10 years reported, ridership remains 18% below its 2019 level, the last full year before the pandemic, and up 2% on 2023. Fares cover 1% of operating cost.
Service by mode, 2024
| Mode | Annual trips | Operating expense | Cost per rider | vs national median | Farebox | Vehicles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bus#41 of 1,162 nationally | 14,512,714 | $91.2 million | $6.28 | -55% | 0% | 186 |
| Commuter Bus#8 of 153 nationally | 992,531 | $22.0 million | $22.15 | -23% | 5% | 110 |
| Demand Response#85 of 1,920 nationally | 279,985 | $16.1 million | $57.57 | +51% | 2% | 93 |
Ridership, 2015–2024
| Year | Annual trips | Operating expense (2024 $) | Cost per rider (2024 $) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 15,785,230 | $129 million | $8.19 |
| 2023 | 15,482,662 | $114 million | $7.37 |
| 2022 | 13,489,669 | $115 million | $8.53 |
| 2021 | 9,400,661 | $113 million | $12.06 |
| 2020 | 14,270,854 | $121 million | $8.51 |
| 2019 | 19,292,677 | $116 million | $6.03 |
| 2018 | 18,394,160 | $112 million | $6.07 |
| 2017 | 19,734,177 | $107 million | $5.44 |
| 2016 | 21,536,305 | $98.9 million | $4.59 |
| 2015 | 23,895,017 | $99.3 million | $4.16 |
Where City of Los Angeles ranks
- Cheapest Bus Systems by Cost per Rider #13 of 40
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Ask NTD about City of Los Angeles →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.