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Texas State University

San Marcos, TX · NTD ID 60269 · 2024 report year

Annual trips2.5 million #184 in the US
Operating expense$5.4 million 2024, as reported
Cost per rider$2.19 all modes combined
Farebox recovery— fares ÷ operating cost

Texas State University carries 2.5 million passenger trips a year on bus service — making it the 184th-busiest transit operator in the United States. It is based in San Marcos, TX.

It spends $5.4 million a year running that service, or $2.19 per trip. Its bus service, the largest of its modes, costs $2.19 per rider — 84% below the $13.86 median for the 1,162 US agencies reporting bus.

Over the 8 years reported, ridership remains 17% below its 2019 level, the last full year before the pandemic, and up 18% on 2023.

Service by mode, 2024

ModeAnnual tripsOperating expense Cost per ridervs national median FareboxVehicles
Bus#149 of 1,162 nationally 2,456,126 $5.4 million $2.19 -84% — 38

Ridership, 2017–2024

2.9 million 803,400 2024 2017
YearAnnual trips Operating expense (2024 $)Cost per rider (2024 $)
2024 2,456,126 $5.4 million $2.19
2023 2,080,210 $5.2 million $2.49
2022 2,037,961 $5.2 million $2.54
2021 803,400 $5.4 million $6.75
2020 2,116,187 $5.8 million $2.74
2019 2,942,220 $5.1 million $1.73
2018 2,710,009 $5.0 million $1.86
2017 2,786,033 $5.8 million $2.08

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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.