Pierce County Transportation Benefit Area Authority
Lakewood, WA · NTD ID 00003 · 2024 report year
Pierce County Transportation Benefit Area Authority carries 7.5 million passenger trips a year across three modes — bus, vanpool and demand response — making it the 84th-busiest transit operator in the United States. It is based in Lakewood, WA.
It spends $118 million a year running that service, or $15.78 per trip. Its bus service, the largest of its modes, costs $13.37 per rider — 4% below the $13.86 median for the 1,162 US agencies reporting bus.
Over the 10 years reported, ridership remains 20% below its 2019 level, the last full year before the pandemic, and up 10% on 2023. Fares cover 6% of operating cost.
Service by mode, 2024
| Mode | Annual trips | Operating expense | Cost per rider | vs national median | Farebox | Vehicles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bus#76 of 1,162 nationally | 6,774,524 | $90.6 million | $13.37 | -4% | 5% | 105 |
| Vanpool#20 of 113 nationally | 362,661 | $4.8 million | $13.27 | +87% | 32% | 222 |
| Demand Response#66 of 1,920 nationally | 360,400 | $22.9 million | $63.57 | +67% | 2% | 89 |
Ridership, 2015–2024
| Year | Annual trips | Operating expense (2024 $) | Cost per rider (2024 $) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 7,497,585 | $118 million | $15.78 |
| 2023 | 6,792,245 | $102 million | $15.07 |
| 2022 | 5,548,156 | $99.8 million | $17.98 |
| 2021 | 4,849,354 | $99.6 million | $20.54 |
| 2020 | 5,303,721 | $101 million | $19.09 |
| 2019 | 9,408,240 | $112 million | $11.88 |
| 2018 | 9,737,856 | $111 million | $11.43 |
| 2017 | 9,678,293 | $117 million | $12.08 |
| 2016 | 9,764,786 | $112 million | $11.52 |
| 2015 | 10,321,907 | $103 million | $10.00 |
Where Pierce County Transportation Benefit Area Authority ranks
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Ask NTD about Pierce County Transportation Benefit Area 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.