Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority
Philadelphia, PA · NTD ID 30019 · 2024 report year
Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority carries 201 million passenger trips a year across six modes — bus, heavy rail, commuter rail, streetcar, trolleybus and demand response — making it the 7th-busiest transit operator in the United States, and the largest in Pennsylvania. It is based in Philadelphia, PA.
It spends $1.55 billion a year running that service, or $7.73 per trip. Its bus service, the largest of its modes, costs $7.20 per rider — 48% below the $13.86 median for the 1,162 US agencies reporting bus.
Over the 10 years reported, ridership remains 35% below its 2019 level, the last full year before the pandemic, and up 2% on 2023. Fares cover 18% of operating cost.
Service by mode, 2024
| Mode | Annual trips | Operating expense | Cost per rider | vs national median | Farebox | Vehicles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bus#7 of 1,162 nationally | 105,093,533 | $756 million | $7.20 | -48% | 16% | 1,033 |
| Heavy Rail#6 of 16 nationally | 54,877,338 | $289 million | $5.26 | -50% | 17% | 215 |
| Commuter Rail#6 of 27 nationally | 22,480,414 | $331 million | $14.74 | -67% | 26% | 311 |
| Streetcar#1 of 25 nationally | 13,512,172 | $93.5 million | $6.92 | -30% | 14% | 85 |
| Trolleybus#3 of 4 nationally | 3,840,931 | $16.8 million | $4.38 | -22% | 15% | 27 |
| Demand Response#22 of 1,920 nationally | 907,546 | $64.5 million | $71.08 | +87% | 9% | 272 |
Ridership, 2015–2024
| Year | Annual trips | Operating expense (2024 $) | Cost per rider (2024 $) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 200,711,934 | $1.55 billion | $7.73 |
| 2023 | 197,264,920 | $1.49 billion | $7.53 |
| 2022 | 174,229,654 | $1.45 billion | $8.32 |
| 2021 | 105,812,061 | $1.48 billion | $13.98 |
| 2020 | 241,553,235 | $1.58 billion | $6.53 |
| 2019 | 308,266,485 | $1.62 billion | $5.26 |
| 2018 | 319,425,542 | $1.60 billion | $5.02 |
| 2017 | 324,750,197 | $1.60 billion | $4.93 |
| 2016 | 354,615,326 | $1.61 billion | $4.55 |
| 2015 | 344,297,259 | $1.61 billion | $4.68 |
Where Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority ranks
- Cheapest Heavy Rail Systems by Cost per Rider #3 of 16
- Most Expensive Heavy Rail Systems by Cost per Rider #14 of 16
- Highest-Ridership Heavy Rail Systems #6 of 16
- Best Farebox Recovery Among Heavy Rail Systems #8 of 16
- Cheapest Commuter Rail Systems by Cost per Rider #2 of 24
- Most Expensive Commuter Rail Systems by Cost per Rider #23 of 24
- Highest-Ridership Commuter Rail Systems #6 of 27
- Best Farebox Recovery Among Commuter Rail Systems #6 of 24
- Cheapest Bus Systems by Cost per Rider #29 of 40
- Highest-Ridership Bus Agencies #7 of 40
- Best Farebox Recovery Among Large Bus Systems #15 of 40
- Highest-Ridership Streetcar Systems #1 of 25
- Most Expensive Demand-Response (Paratransit) Services by Cost per Rider #10 of 40
- Highest-Ridership Demand-Response (Paratransit) Services #22 of 40
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Ask NTD about Southeastern Pennsylvania 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.