Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, Texas
Houston, TX · NTD ID 60008 · 2024 report year
Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, Texas carries 75.9 million passenger trips a year across six modes — bus, light rail, commuter bus, demand response, vanpool and bus rapid transit — making it the 13th-busiest transit operator in the United States, and the largest in Texas. It is based in Houston, TX.
It spends $813 million a year running that service, or $10.71 per trip. Its bus service, the largest of its modes, costs $9.36 per rider — 32% below the $13.86 median for the 1,162 US agencies reporting bus.
Over the 10 years reported, ridership remains 16% below its 2019 level, the last full year before the pandemic, and up 11% on 2023. Fares cover 5% of operating cost.
Service by mode, 2024
| Mode | Annual trips | Operating expense | Cost per rider | vs national median | Farebox | Vehicles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bus#12 of 1,162 nationally | 55,839,849 | $523 million | $9.36 | -32% | 5% | 683 |
| Light Rail#11 of 22 nationally | 13,652,169 | $103 million | $7.54 | -35% | 3% | 52 |
| Commuter Bus#3 of 153 nationally | 3,632,811 | $68.7 million | $18.92 | -34% | 13% | 177 |
| Demand Response#6 of 1,920 nationally | 2,054,787 | $110 million | $53.48 | +41% | 2% | 437 |
| Vanpool#13 of 113 nationally | 441,334 | $4.5 million | $10.30 | +45% | 41% | 212 |
| Bus Rapid Transit#20 of 20 nationally | 238,215 | $4.1 million | $17.08 | +170% | 1% | 6 |
Ridership, 2015–2024
| Year | Annual trips | Operating expense (2024 $) | Cost per rider (2024 $) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 75,859,165 | $813 million | $10.71 |
| 2023 | 68,575,784 | $819 million | $11.94 |
| 2022 | 57,316,696 | $707 million | $12.33 |
| 2021 | 44,914,325 | $644 million | $14.34 |
| 2020 | 65,047,501 | $712 million | $10.95 |
| 2019 | 89,951,217 | $705 million | $7.83 |
| 2018 | 90,300,547 | $671 million | $7.43 |
| 2017 | 88,129,126 | $673 million | $7.63 |
| 2016 | 89,970,895 | $660 million | $7.34 |
| 2015 | 86,089,171 | $648 million | $7.53 |
Where Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, Texas ranks
- Cheapest Light Rail Systems by Cost per Rider #7 of 22
- Most Expensive Light Rail Systems by Cost per Rider #16 of 22
- Highest-Ridership Light Rail Systems #11 of 22
- Most Expensive Bus Systems by Cost per Rider #39 of 40
- Highest-Ridership Bus Agencies #12 of 40
- Highest-Ridership Bus Rapid Transit Systems #20 of 20
- Most Expensive Demand-Response (Paratransit) Services by Cost per Rider #25 of 40
- Highest-Ridership Demand-Response (Paratransit) Services #6 of 40
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Ask NTD about Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, Texas →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.