The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority
Cleveland, OH · NTD ID 50015 · 2024 report year
The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority carries 24.9 million passenger trips a year across five modes — bus, heavy rail, bus rapid transit, light rail and demand response — making it the 37th-busiest transit operator in the United States, and the largest in Ohio. It is based in Cleveland, OH.
It spends $306 million a year running that service, or $12.28 per trip. Its bus service, the largest of its modes, costs $10.62 per rider — 23% below the $13.86 median for the 1,162 US agencies reporting bus.
Over the 10 years reported, ridership remains 23% below its 2019 level, the last full year before the pandemic, and up 11% on 2023. Fares cover 11% of operating cost.
Service by mode, 2024
| Mode | Annual trips | Operating expense | Cost per rider | vs national median | Farebox | Vehicles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bus#37 of 1,162 nationally | 18,187,961 | $193 million | $10.62 | -23% | 12% | 224 |
| Heavy Rail#15 of 16 nationally | 3,151,597 | $43.1 million | $13.69 | +30% | 10% | 16 |
| Bus Rapid Transit#7 of 20 nationally | 2,080,030 | $10.0 million | $4.83 | -24% | 23% | 7 |
| Light Rail#22 of 22 nationally | 808,055 | $13.8 million | $17.13 | +48% | 8% | 7 |
| Demand Response#33 of 1,920 nationally | 661,142 | $45.6 million | $68.93 | +81% | 3% | 143 |
Ridership, 2015–2024
| Year | Annual trips | Operating expense (2024 $) | Cost per rider (2024 $) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 24,888,785 | $306 million | $12.28 |
| 2023 | 22,415,370 | $292 million | $13.04 |
| 2022 | 19,081,613 | $257 million | $13.46 |
| 2021 | 15,872,963 | $295 million | $18.62 |
| 2020 | 16,862,459 | $315 million | $18.67 |
| 2019 | 32,171,825 | $369 million | $11.47 |
| 2018 | 35,150,711 | $307 million | $8.74 |
| 2017 | 39,562,839 | $327 million | $8.25 |
| 2016 | 44,285,601 | $342 million | $7.73 |
| 2015 | 47,021,540 | $318 million | $6.76 |
Where The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority ranks
- Cheapest Heavy Rail Systems by Cost per Rider #11 of 16
- Most Expensive Heavy Rail Systems by Cost per Rider #6 of 16
- Highest-Ridership Heavy Rail Systems #15 of 16
- Best Farebox Recovery Among Heavy Rail Systems #11 of 16
- Cheapest Light Rail Systems by Cost per Rider #20 of 22
- Most Expensive Light Rail Systems by Cost per Rider #3 of 22
- Highest-Ridership Light Rail Systems #22 of 22
- Most Expensive Bus Systems by Cost per Rider #31 of 40
- Highest-Ridership Bus Agencies #37 of 40
- Best Farebox Recovery Among Large Bus Systems #26 of 40
- Highest-Ridership Bus Rapid Transit Systems #7 of 20
- Most Expensive Demand-Response (Paratransit) Services by Cost per Rider #13 of 40
- Highest-Ridership Demand-Response (Paratransit) Services #33 of 40
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Ask NTD about The Greater Cleveland Regional 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.