Denver Regional Transportation District
Denver, CO · NTD ID 80006 · 2024 report year
Denver Regional Transportation District carries 64.3 million passenger trips a year across four modes — bus, light rail, commuter rail and demand response — making it the 18th-busiest transit operator in the United States, and the largest in Colorado. It is based in Denver, CO.
It spends $893 million a year running that service, or $13.88 per trip. Its bus service, the largest of its modes, costs $11.67 per rider — 16% below the $13.86 median for the 1,162 US agencies reporting bus.
Over the 10 years reported, ridership remains 39% below its 2019 level, the last full year before the pandemic, and flat 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#15 of 1,162 nationally | 44,041,734 | $514 million | $11.67 | -16% | 7% | 530 |
| Light Rail#12 of 22 nationally | 11,161,755 | $163 million | $14.64 | +27% | 5% | 116 |
| Commuter Rail#7 of 27 nationally | 8,331,378 | $137 million | $16.43 | -63% | 13% | 44 |
| Demand Response#29 of 1,920 nationally | 757,130 | $78.4 million | $103.54 | +172% | 3% | 321 |
Ridership, 2015–2024
| Year | Annual trips | Operating expense (2024 $) | Cost per rider (2024 $) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 64,291,997 | $893 million | $13.88 |
| 2023 | 64,533,895 | $783 million | $12.13 |
| 2022 | 61,284,680 | $712 million | $11.62 |
| 2021 | 48,777,163 | $660 million | $13.52 |
| 2020 | 52,314,687 | $756 million | $14.46 |
| 2019 | 105,207,476 | $791 million | $7.51 |
| 2018 | 104,708,480 | $724 million | $6.92 |
| 2017 | 98,077,504 | $684 million | $6.98 |
| 2016 | 103,340,797 | $681 million | $6.59 |
| 2015 | 102,250,731 | $624 million | $6.10 |
Where Denver Regional Transportation District ranks
- Cheapest Light Rail Systems by Cost per Rider #17 of 22
- Most Expensive Light Rail Systems by Cost per Rider #6 of 22
- Highest-Ridership Light Rail Systems #12 of 22
- Cheapest Commuter Rail Systems by Cost per Rider #3 of 24
- Most Expensive Commuter Rail Systems by Cost per Rider #22 of 24
- Highest-Ridership Commuter Rail Systems #7 of 27
- Best Farebox Recovery Among Commuter Rail Systems #13 of 24
- Most Expensive Bus Systems by Cost per Rider #22 of 40
- Highest-Ridership Bus Agencies #15 of 40
- Most Expensive Demand-Response (Paratransit) Services by Cost per Rider #4 of 40
- Highest-Ridership Demand-Response (Paratransit) Services #29 of 40
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These are the headline figures. Ask NTD answers the rest in plain English — by mode, by year, against any other agency.
Ask NTD about Denver Regional Transportation District →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.