Delaware Transit Corporation
Dover, DE · NTD ID 30075 · 2024 report year
Delaware Transit Corporation carries 8.3 million passenger trips a year across two modes — bus and demand response — making it the 81st-busiest transit operator in the United States, and the largest in Delaware. It is based in Dover, DE.
It spends $141 million a year running that service, or $17.02 per trip. Its bus service, the largest of its modes, costs $11.05 per rider — 20% below the $13.86 median for the 1,162 US agencies reporting bus.
Over the 10 years reported, ridership is 2% above its 2019 level, the last full year before the pandemic, and up 8% on 2023. Fares cover 8% of operating cost.
Service by mode, 2024
| Mode | Annual trips | Operating expense | Cost per rider | vs national median | Farebox | Vehicles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bus#71 of 1,162 nationally | 7,371,709 | $81.4 million | $11.05 | -20% | 10% | 203 |
| Demand Response#25 of 1,920 nationally | 885,589 | $59.1 million | $66.71 | +75% | 7% | 299 |
Ridership, 2015–2024
| Year | Annual trips | Operating expense (2024 $) | Cost per rider (2024 $) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 8,257,298 | $141 million | $17.02 |
| 2023 | 7,629,486 | $137 million | $17.97 |
| 2022 | 6,125,105 | $134 million | $21.80 |
| 2021 | 5,180,322 | $143 million | $27.54 |
| 2020 | 6,776,344 | $151 million | $22.26 |
| 2019 | 8,109,258 | $156 million | $19.18 |
| 2018 | 8,096,943 | $150 million | $18.49 |
| 2017 | 8,465,452 | $145 million | $17.09 |
| 2016 | 9,382,971 | $142 million | $15.17 |
| 2015 | 10,257,127 | $146 million | $14.20 |
Where Delaware Transit Corporation ranks
- Most Expensive Bus Systems by Cost per Rider #28 of 40
- Best Farebox Recovery Among Large Bus Systems #37 of 40
- Most Expensive Demand-Response (Paratransit) Services by Cost per Rider #15 of 40
- Highest-Ridership Demand-Response (Paratransit) Services #25 of 40
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Ask NTD about Delaware Transit Corporation →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.