San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District
Oakland, CA · NTD ID 90003 · 2024 report year
San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District carries 54.9 million passenger trips a year across three modes — heavy rail, hybrid rail and monorail/automated guideway — making it the 21st-busiest transit operator in the United States. It is based in Oakland, CA.
It spends $883 million a year running that service, or $16.07 per trip. Its heavy rail service, the largest of its modes, costs $16.00 per rider — 52% above the $10.50 median for the 16 US agencies reporting heavy rail.
Over the 10 years reported, ridership remains 57% below its 2019 level, the last full year before the pandemic, and up 8% on 2023. Fares cover 25% of operating cost.
Service by mode, 2024
| Mode | Annual trips | Operating expense | Cost per rider | vs national median | Farebox | Vehicles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heavy Rail#7 of 16 nationally | 53,222,212 | $852 million | $16.00 | +52% | 25% | 566 |
| Hybrid Rail#3 of 6 nationally | 1,273,133 | $22.5 million | $17.64 | -57% | 18% | 14 |
| Monorail/Automated Guideway#5 of 6 nationally | 432,021 | $8.9 million | $20.56 | +69% | 31% | 2 |
Ridership, 2015–2024
| Year | Annual trips | Operating expense (2024 $) | Cost per rider (2024 $) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 54,927,366 | $883 million | $16.07 |
| 2023 | 50,764,402 | $805 million | $15.86 |
| 2022 | 38,224,072 | $735 million | $19.22 |
| 2021 | 17,839,678 | $732 million | $41.03 |
| 2020 | 91,006,971 | $826 million | $9.08 |
| 2019 | 128,217,031 | $825 million | $6.44 |
| 2018 | 129,044,343 | $815 million | $6.32 |
| 2017 | 132,802,066 | $801 million | $6.03 |
| 2016 | 137,658,212 | $817 million | $5.94 |
| 2015 | 135,240,559 | $767 million | $5.67 |
Where San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District ranks
- Cheapest Heavy Rail Systems by Cost per Rider #12 of 16
- Most Expensive Heavy Rail Systems by Cost per Rider #5 of 16
- Highest-Ridership Heavy Rail Systems #7 of 16
- Best Farebox Recovery Among Heavy Rail Systems #4 of 16
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Ask NTD about San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District →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.