City of Portland
Portland, OR · NTD ID 00058 · 2024 report year
City of Portland carries 4.1 million passenger trips a year across two modes — streetcar and aerial tramway — making it the 129th-busiest transit operator in the United States. It is based in Portland, OR.
It spends $27.4 million a year running that service, or $6.68 per trip. Its streetcar service, the largest of its modes, costs $8.12 per rider — 18% below the $9.95 median for the 25 US agencies reporting streetcar.
Over the 10 years reported, ridership remains 38% below its 2019 level, the last full year before the pandemic, and up 11% on 2023. Fares cover 4% of operating cost.
Service by mode, 2024
| Mode | Annual trips | Operating expense | Cost per rider | vs national median | Farebox | Vehicles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Streetcar#4 of 25 nationally | 2,860,863 | $23.2 million | $8.12 | -18% | 2% | 12 |
| Aerial Tramway#2 of 2 nationally | 1,240,428 | $4.2 million | $3.35 | +33% | 19% | 2 |
Ridership, 2015–2024
| Year | Annual trips | Operating expense (2024 $) | Cost per rider (2024 $) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 4,101,291 | $27.4 million | $6.68 |
| 2023 | 3,692,695 | $27.5 million | $7.43 |
| 2022 | 2,373,341 | $23.4 million | $9.85 |
| 2021 | 1,564,336 | $20.2 million | $12.92 |
| 2020 | 4,777,701 | $27.6 million | $5.77 |
| 2019 | 6,595,730 | $27.0 million | $4.10 |
| 2018 | 6,947,667 | $25.6 million | $3.69 |
| 2017 | 6,870,310 | $24.5 million | $3.57 |
| 2016 | 6,416,746 | $24.7 million | $3.86 |
| 2015 | 6,476,307 | $21.1 million | $3.26 |
Where City of Portland ranks
- Highest-Ridership Streetcar Systems #4 of 25
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Ask NTD about City of Portland →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.