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Port Authority Trans-Hudson Corporation

New York, NY · NTD ID 20098 · 2024 report year

Annual trips62.5 million #20 in the US
Operating expense$599 million 2024, as reported
Cost per rider$9.58 all modes combined
Farebox recovery25.5% fares ÷ operating cost

Port Authority Trans-Hudson Corporation carries 62.5 million passenger trips a year on heavy rail service — making it the 20th-busiest transit operator in the United States. It is based in New York, NY.

It spends $599 million a year running that service, or $9.58 per trip. Its heavy rail service, the largest of its modes, costs $9.58 per rider — 9% below the $10.50 median for the 16 US agencies reporting heavy rail.

Over the 10 years reported, ridership remains 32% below its 2019 level, the last full year before the pandemic, and up 13% on 2023. Fares cover 25% of operating cost.

Service by mode, 2024

ModeAnnual tripsOperating expense Cost per ridervs national median FareboxVehicles
Heavy Rail#5 of 16 nationally 62,489,580 $599 million $9.58 -9% 25% 300

Ridership, 2015–2024

94.2 million 29.9 million 2024 2015
YearAnnual trips Operating expense (2024 $)Cost per rider (2024 $)
2024 62,489,580 $599 million $9.58
2023 55,108,860 $569 million $10.32
2022 46,589,043 $516 million $11.07
2021 32,073,673 $541 million $16.86
2020 29,940,845 $543 million $18.15
2019 91,672,195 $571 million $6.23
2018 91,036,214 $567 million $6.22
2017 94,198,861 $551 million $5.85
2016 89,466,496 $552 million $6.17
2015 86,652,206 $526 million $6.07

Where Port Authority Trans-Hudson Corporation ranks

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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.