Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority
Buffalo, NY · NTD ID 20004 · 2024 report year
Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority carries 15.5 million passenger trips a year across three modes — bus, light rail and demand response — making it the 52nd-busiest transit operator in the United States. It is based in Buffalo, NY.
It spends $154 million a year running that service, or $9.95 per trip. Its bus service, the largest of its modes, costs $8.54 per rider — 38% below the $13.86 median for the 1,162 US agencies reporting bus.
Over the 10 years reported, ridership remains 35% below its 2019 level, the last full year before the pandemic, and up 7% on 2023. Fares cover 18% of operating cost.
Service by mode, 2024
| Mode | Annual trips | Operating expense | Cost per rider | vs national median | Farebox | Vehicles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bus#43 of 1,162 nationally | 12,866,609 | $110 million | $8.54 | -38% | 21% | 202 |
| Light Rail#20 of 22 nationally | 2,394,940 | $32.0 million | $13.35 | +15% | 11% | 21 |
| Demand Response#103 of 1,920 nationally | 236,372 | $12.4 million | $52.30 | +37% | 5% | 62 |
Ridership, 2015–2024
| Year | Annual trips | Operating expense (2024 $) | Cost per rider (2024 $) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 15,497,921 | $154 million | $9.95 |
| 2023 | 14,531,216 | $151 million | $10.38 |
| 2022 | 13,157,440 | $148 million | $11.25 |
| 2021 | 11,319,227 | $152 million | $13.42 |
| 2020 | 23,851,680 | $171 million | $7.17 |
| 2019 | 23,982,380 | $176 million | $7.33 |
| 2018 | 25,158,937 | $175 million | $6.96 |
| 2017 | 26,501,597 | $171 million | $6.43 |
| 2016 | 28,079,525 | $176 million | $6.26 |
| 2015 | 26,301,333 | $169 million | $6.42 |
Where Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority ranks
- Cheapest Light Rail Systems by Cost per Rider #14 of 22
- Most Expensive Light Rail Systems by Cost per Rider #9 of 22
- Highest-Ridership Light Rail Systems #20 of 22
- Cheapest Bus Systems by Cost per Rider #37 of 40
- Best Farebox Recovery Among Large Bus Systems #6 of 40
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Ask NTD about Niagara Frontier 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.