City of Madison
Madison, WI · NTD ID 50005 · 2024 report year
City of Madison carries 9.3 million passenger trips a year across three modes — bus, bus rapid transit and demand response — making it the 72nd-busiest transit operator in the United States. It is based in Madison, WI.
It spends $68.0 million a year running that service, or $7.31 per trip. Its bus service, the largest of its modes, costs $6.94 per rider — 50% 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 down 2% on 2023. Fares cover 14% of operating cost.
Service by mode, 2024
| Mode | Annual trips | Operating expense | Cost per rider | vs national median | Farebox | Vehicles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bus#62 of 1,162 nationally | 8,649,646 | $60.1 million | $6.94 | -50% | 13% | 137 |
| Bus Rapid Transit#15 of 20 nationally | 527,222 | $2.8 million | $5.30 | -16% | 17% | 29 |
| Demand Response#220 of 1,920 nationally | 120,989 | $5.1 million | $42.38 | +11% | 23% | 27 |
Ridership, 2015–2024
| Year | Annual trips | Operating expense (2024 $) | Cost per rider (2024 $) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 9,297,857 | $68.0 million | $7.31 |
| 2023 | 9,514,620 | $63.8 million | $6.71 |
| 2022 | 8,379,362 | $58.3 million | $6.96 |
| 2021 | 5,458,011 | $58.0 million | $10.62 |
| 2020 | 4,755,375 | $62.3 million | $13.10 |
| 2019 | 12,969,815 | $64.5 million | $4.98 |
| 2018 | 13,385,628 | $65.3 million | $4.88 |
| 2017 | 13,108,095 | $69.8 million | $5.33 |
| 2016 | 13,584,517 | $70.4 million | $5.18 |
| 2015 | 14,632,229 | $70.1 million | $4.79 |
Where City of Madison ranks
- Cheapest Bus Systems by Cost per Rider #24 of 40
- Best Farebox Recovery Among Large Bus Systems #24 of 40
- Highest-Ridership Bus Rapid Transit Systems #15 of 20
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Ask NTD about City of Madison →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.