Montgomery County, Maryland
Rockville, MD · NTD ID 30051 · 2024 report year
Montgomery County, Maryland carries 18.4 million passenger trips a year across two modes — bus and demand response — making it the 45th-busiest transit operator in the United States. It is based in Rockville, MD.
It spends $171 million a year running that service, or $9.26 per trip. Its bus service, the largest of its modes, costs $9.22 per rider — 33% below the $13.86 median for the 1,162 US agencies reporting bus.
Over the 10 years reported, ridership remains 10% below its 2019 level, the last full year before the pandemic, and up 28% on 2023. Fares cover 2% of operating cost.
Service by mode, 2024
| Mode | Annual trips | Operating expense | Cost per rider | vs national median | Farebox | Vehicles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bus#35 of 1,162 nationally | 18,422,520 | $170 million | $9.22 | -33% | 2% | 305 |
| Demand Response#1309 of 1,920 nationally | 12,015 | $692,525 | $57.64 | +51% | 7% | 4 |
Ridership, 2015–2024
| Year | Annual trips | Operating expense (2024 $) | Cost per rider (2024 $) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 18,434,535 | $171 million | $9.26 |
| 2023 | 14,372,995 | $174 million | $12.11 |
| 2022 | 14,102,952 | $153 million | $10.84 |
| 2021 | 10,078,042 | $160 million | $15.88 |
| 2020 | 16,314,016 | $154 million | $9.45 |
| 2019 | 20,596,520 | $153 million | $7.42 |
| 2018 | 21,594,040 | $148 million | $6.88 |
| 2017 | 22,984,194 | $145 million | $6.29 |
| 2016 | 24,512,705 | $142 million | $5.81 |
| 2015 | 25,972,313 | $149 million | $5.72 |
Where Montgomery County, Maryland ranks
- Highest-Ridership Bus Agencies #35 of 40
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Ask NTD about Montgomery County, Maryland →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.