Maryland Transit Administration
Baltimore, MD · NTD ID 30034 · 2024 report year
Maryland Transit Administration carries 64.2 million passenger trips a year across six modes — bus, light rail, commuter rail, heavy rail, demand response and commuter bus — making it the 19th-busiest transit operator in the United States, and the largest in Maryland. It is based in Baltimore, MD.
It spends $1.06 billion a year running that service, or $16.43 per trip. Its bus service, the largest of its modes, costs $9.44 per rider — 32% below the $13.86 median for the 1,162 US agencies reporting bus.
Over the 10 years reported, ridership remains 32% below its 2019 level, the last full year before the pandemic, and up 11% on 2023. Fares cover 6% of operating cost.
Service by mode, 2024
| Mode | Annual trips | Operating expense | Cost per rider | vs national median | Farebox | Vehicles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bus#14 of 1,162 nationally | 48,038,092 | $453 million | $9.44 | -32% | 7% | 677 |
| Light Rail#18 of 22 nationally | 4,471,100 | $60.7 million | $13.58 | +17% | 5% | 17 |
| Commuter Rail#12 of 27 nationally | 3,836,552 | $189 million | $49.31 | +11% | 12% | 149 |
| Heavy Rail#13 of 16 nationally | 3,658,312 | $96.4 million | $26.34 | +151% | 2% | 40 |
| Demand Response#3 of 1,920 nationally | 2,939,453 | $189 million | $64.41 | +69% | 0% | 851 |
| Commuter Bus#6 of 153 nationally | 1,295,225 | $66.4 million | $51.23 | +78% | 11% | 100 |
Ridership, 2015–2024
| Year | Annual trips | Operating expense (2024 $) | Cost per rider (2024 $) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 64,238,734 | $1.06 billion | $16.43 |
| 2023 | 57,907,024 | $945 million | $16.32 |
| 2022 | 50,205,947 | $929 million | $18.49 |
| 2021 | 42,337,039 | $910 million | $21.50 |
| 2020 | 77,761,174 | $976 million | $12.55 |
| 2019 | 94,036,949 | $1.03 billion | $10.91 |
| 2018 | 96,231,787 | $945 million | $9.82 |
| 2017 | 103,571,384 | $892 million | $8.61 |
| 2016 | 110,727,565 | $840 million | $7.59 |
| 2015 | 116,219,917 | $863 million | $7.42 |
Where Maryland Transit Administration ranks
- Cheapest Heavy Rail Systems by Cost per Rider #15 of 16
- Most Expensive Heavy Rail Systems by Cost per Rider #2 of 16
- Highest-Ridership Heavy Rail Systems #13 of 16
- Best Farebox Recovery Among Heavy Rail Systems #15 of 16
- Cheapest Light Rail Systems by Cost per Rider #15 of 22
- Most Expensive Light Rail Systems by Cost per Rider #8 of 22
- Highest-Ridership Light Rail Systems #18 of 22
- Cheapest Commuter Rail Systems by Cost per Rider #19 of 24
- Most Expensive Commuter Rail Systems by Cost per Rider #6 of 24
- Highest-Ridership Commuter Rail Systems #12 of 27
- Best Farebox Recovery Among Commuter Rail Systems #14 of 24
- Most Expensive Bus Systems by Cost per Rider #38 of 40
- Highest-Ridership Bus Agencies #14 of 40
- Most Expensive Demand-Response (Paratransit) Services by Cost per Rider #16 of 40
- Highest-Ridership Demand-Response (Paratransit) Services #3 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 Maryland Transit Administration →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.