Detroit Transportation Corporation
Detroit, MI · NTD ID 50141 · 2024 report year
Detroit Transportation Corporation carries 1.0 million passenger trips a year on monorail/automated guideway service — making it the 296th-busiest transit operator in the United States. It is based in Detroit, MI.
It spends $20.6 million a year running that service, or $19.82 per trip. Its monorail/automated guideway service, the largest of its modes, costs $19.82 per rider — 63% above the $12.17 median for the 6 US agencies reporting monorail/automated guideway.
Over the 9 years reported, ridership remains 40% below its 2019 level, the last full year before the pandemic, and up 71% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monorail/Automated Guideway#4 of 6 nationally | 1,040,277 | $20.6 million | $19.82 | +63% | 1% | 6 |
Ridership, 2015–2024
| Year | Annual trips | Operating expense (2024 $) | Cost per rider (2024 $) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 1,040,277 | $20.6 million | $19.82 |
| 2023 | 608,256 | $15.9 million | $26.09 |
| 2022 | 57,099 | $12.3 million | $216.03 |
| 2020 | 998,823 | $20.2 million | $20.19 |
| 2019 | 1,735,852 | $23.6 million | $13.57 |
| 2018 | 1,952,505 | $21.9 million | $11.24 |
| 2017 | 2,212,661 | $23.2 million | $10.50 |
| 2016 | 2,286,383 | $22.3 million | $9.76 |
| 2015 | 2,442,031 | $20.3 million | $8.30 |
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Ask NTD about Detroit Transportation 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.