Rhode Island Public Transit Authority
Providence, RI · NTD ID 10001 · 2024 report year
Rhode Island Public Transit Authority carries 13.1 million passenger trips a year across three modes — bus, demand response and vanpool — making it the 57th-busiest transit operator in the United States, and the largest in Rhode Island. It is based in Providence, RI.
It spends $133 million a year running that service, or $10.14 per trip. Its bus service, the largest of its modes, costs $8.91 per rider — 36% 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 15% on 2023. Fares cover 13% of operating cost.
Service by mode, 2024
| Mode | Annual trips | Operating expense | Cost per rider | vs national median | Farebox | Vehicles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bus#46 of 1,162 nationally | 12,691,566 | $113 million | $8.91 | -36% | 15% | 176 |
| Demand Response#71 of 1,920 nationally | 323,452 | $19.3 million | $59.72 | +57% | 3% | 90 |
| Vanpool#45 of 113 nationally | 82,007 | $489,538 | $5.97 | -16% | 113% | 28 |
Ridership, 2015–2024
| Year | Annual trips | Operating expense (2024 $) | Cost per rider (2024 $) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 13,097,025 | $133 million | $10.14 |
| 2023 | 11,412,537 | $134 million | $11.72 |
| 2022 | 9,684,186 | $116 million | $11.95 |
| 2021 | 7,967,544 | $132 million | $16.52 |
| 2020 | 13,460,458 | $148 million | $10.99 |
| 2019 | 16,431,596 | $142 million | $8.65 |
| 2018 | 16,718,409 | $137 million | $8.19 |
| 2017 | 16,602,919 | $132 million | $7.96 |
| 2016 | 18,186,734 | $133 million | $7.30 |
| 2015 | 18,476,860 | $134 million | $7.23 |
Where Rhode Island Public Transit Authority ranks
Ask a different question
These are the headline figures. Ask NTD answers the rest in plain English — by mode, by year, against any other agency.
Ask NTD about Rhode Island Public Transit 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.