Pace, the Suburban Bus Division of the Regional Transportation Authority
Arlington Heights, IL · NTD ID 50113 · 2024 report year
Pace, the Suburban Bus Division of the Regional Transportation Authority carries 17.9 million passenger trips a year across three modes — bus, vanpool and demand response — making it the 47th-busiest transit operator in the United States. It is based in Arlington Heights, IL.
It spends $268 million a year running that service, or $14.94 per trip. Its bus service, the largest of its modes, costs $14.19 per rider — 2% above the $13.86 median for the 1,162 US agencies reporting bus.
Over the 10 years reported, ridership remains 37% below its 2019 level, the last full year before the pandemic, and up 12% on 2023. Fares cover 8% of operating cost.
Service by mode, 2024
| Mode | Annual trips | Operating expense | Cost per rider | vs national median | Farebox | Vehicles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bus#38 of 1,162 nationally | 16,966,341 | $241 million | $14.19 | +2% | 8% | 518 |
| Vanpool#11 of 113 nationally | 533,908 | $3.8 million | $7.14 | +1% | 26% | 299 |
| Demand Response#53 of 1,920 nationally | 406,026 | $23.0 million | $56.58 | +49% | 5% | 128 |
Ridership, 2015–2024
| Year | Annual trips | Operating expense (2024 $) | Cost per rider (2024 $) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 17,906,275 | $268 million | $14.94 |
| 2023 | 16,049,954 | $277 million | $17.27 |
| 2022 | 14,556,753 | $265 million | $18.22 |
| 2021 | 13,229,247 | $259 million | $19.58 |
| 2020 | 14,565,492 | $252 million | $17.28 |
| 2019 | 28,520,701 | $290 million | $10.16 |
| 2018 | 30,207,856 | $285 million | $9.45 |
| 2017 | 31,370,499 | $291 million | $9.28 |
| 2016 | 31,169,635 | $287 million | $9.20 |
| 2015 | 33,116,782 | $266 million | $8.02 |
Where Pace, the Suburban Bus Division of the Regional Transportation Authority ranks
- Most Expensive Bus Systems by Cost per Rider #11 of 40
- Highest-Ridership Bus Agencies #38 of 40
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Ask NTD about Pace, the Suburban Bus Division of the Regional 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.