Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority
Boston, MA · NTD ID 10003 · 2024 report year
Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority carries 252 million passenger trips a year across seven modes — bus, heavy rail, light rail, commuter rail, bus rapid transit, ferryboat and demand response — making it the 5th-busiest transit operator in the United States, and the largest in Massachusetts. It is based in Boston, MA.
It spends $2.16 billion a year running that service, or $8.59 per trip. Its bus service, the largest of its modes, costs $7.60 per rider — 45% below the $13.86 median for the 1,162 US agencies reporting bus.
Over the 10 years reported, ridership remains 31% below its 2019 level, the last full year before the pandemic, and up 7% on 2023. Fares cover 19% of operating cost.
Service by mode, 2024
| Mode | Annual trips | Operating expense | Cost per rider | vs national median | Farebox | Vehicles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bus#8 of 1,162 nationally | 88,822,890 | $675 million | $7.60 | -45% | 11% | 689 |
| Heavy Rail#4 of 16 nationally | 84,772,414 | $407 million | $4.80 | -54% | 34% | 288 |
| Light Rail#3 of 22 nationally | 36,668,303 | $266 million | $7.25 | -37% | 20% | 134 |
| Commuter Rail#5 of 27 nationally | 29,186,010 | $570 million | $19.51 | -56% | 23% | 400 |
| Bus Rapid Transit#2 of 20 nationally | 9,955,393 | $65.2 million | $6.55 | +3% | 10% | 30 |
| Ferryboat#10 of 39 nationally | 1,359,001 | $24.6 million | $18.10 | -7% | 36% | 11 |
| Demand Response#19 of 1,920 nationally | 960,871 | $155 million | $161.25 | +324% | 2% | 454 |
Ridership, 2015–2024
| Year | Annual trips | Operating expense (2024 $) | Cost per rider (2024 $) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 251,724,882 | $2.16 billion | $8.59 |
| 2023 | 234,975,556 | $1.95 billion | $8.28 |
| 2022 | 203,455,402 | $1.84 billion | $9.02 |
| 2021 | 120,951,784 | $1.82 billion | $15.01 |
| 2020 | 277,410,755 | $1.89 billion | $6.80 |
| 2019 | 366,716,896 | $1.85 billion | $5.04 |
| 2018 | 372,398,838 | $1.87 billion | $5.02 |
| 2017 | 382,676,332 | $1.95 billion | $5.09 |
| 2016 | 403,003,734 | $1.96 billion | $4.87 |
| 2015 | 405,950,873 | $1.97 billion | $4.86 |
Where Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority ranks
- Cheapest Heavy Rail Systems by Cost per Rider #2 of 16
- Most Expensive Heavy Rail Systems by Cost per Rider #15 of 16
- Highest-Ridership Heavy Rail Systems #4 of 16
- Best Farebox Recovery Among Heavy Rail Systems #2 of 16
- Cheapest Light Rail Systems by Cost per Rider #4 of 22
- Most Expensive Light Rail Systems by Cost per Rider #19 of 22
- Highest-Ridership Light Rail Systems #3 of 22
- Cheapest Commuter Rail Systems by Cost per Rider #4 of 24
- Most Expensive Commuter Rail Systems by Cost per Rider #21 of 24
- Highest-Ridership Commuter Rail Systems #5 of 27
- Best Farebox Recovery Among Commuter Rail Systems #8 of 24
- Cheapest Bus Systems by Cost per Rider #32 of 40
- Highest-Ridership Bus Agencies #8 of 40
- Best Farebox Recovery Among Large Bus Systems #32 of 40
- Highest-Ridership Bus Rapid Transit Systems #2 of 20
- Highest-Ridership Ferry Systems #10 of 39
- Most Expensive Demand-Response (Paratransit) Services by Cost per Rider #1 of 40
- Highest-Ridership Demand-Response (Paratransit) Services #19 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 Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority →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.