Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority
Atlanta, GA · NTD ID 40022 · 2024 report year
Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority carries 65.6 million passenger trips a year across four modes — bus, heavy rail, demand response and streetcar — making it the 16th-busiest transit operator in the United States, and the largest in Georgia. It is based in Atlanta, GA.
It spends $668 million a year running that service, or $10.18 per trip. Its bus service, the largest of its modes, costs $9.28 per rider — 33% below the $13.86 median for the 1,162 US agencies reporting bus.
Over the 10 years reported, ridership remains 44% below its 2019 level, the last full year before the pandemic, and up 6% on 2023. Fares cover 11% of operating cost.
Service by mode, 2024
| Mode | Annual trips | Operating expense | Cost per rider | vs national median | Farebox | Vehicles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bus#21 of 1,162 nationally | 33,417,833 | $310 million | $9.28 | -33% | 10% | 397 |
| Heavy Rail#8 of 16 nationally | 31,126,899 | $277 million | $8.89 | -15% | 15% | 152 |
| Demand Response#28 of 1,920 nationally | 759,097 | $74.6 million | $98.26 | +158% | 1% | 222 |
| Streetcar#17 of 25 nationally | 283,536 | $6.3 million | $22.16 | +123% | 0% | 2 |
Ridership, 2015–2024
| Year | Annual trips | Operating expense (2024 $) | Cost per rider (2024 $) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 65,587,365 | $668 million | $10.18 |
| 2023 | 62,093,037 | $612 million | $9.85 |
| 2022 | 51,429,953 | $558 million | $10.85 |
| 2021 | 46,393,834 | $590 million | $12.73 |
| 2020 | 90,827,832 | $597 million | $6.58 |
| 2019 | 117,759,054 | $600 million | $5.09 |
| 2018 | 120,162,922 | $584 million | $4.86 |
| 2017 | 126,428,706 | $554 million | $4.38 |
| 2016 | 133,383,107 | $645 million | $4.84 |
| 2015 | 136,029,205 | $608 million | $4.47 |
Where Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority ranks
- Cheapest Heavy Rail Systems by Cost per Rider #6 of 16
- Most Expensive Heavy Rail Systems by Cost per Rider #11 of 16
- Highest-Ridership Heavy Rail Systems #8 of 16
- Best Farebox Recovery Among Heavy Rail Systems #9 of 16
- Highest-Ridership Bus Agencies #21 of 40
- Best Farebox Recovery Among Large Bus Systems #34 of 40
- Highest-Ridership Streetcar Systems #17 of 25
- Most Expensive Demand-Response (Paratransit) Services by Cost per Rider #5 of 40
- Highest-Ridership Demand-Response (Paratransit) Services #28 of 40
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Ask NTD about Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit 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.