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Town of Vail

Vail, CO · NTD ID 88298 · 2024 report year

Annual trips2.6 million #173 in the US
Operating expense$7.2 million 2024, as reported
Cost per rider$2.75 all modes combined
Farebox recovery— fares ÷ operating cost

Town of Vail carries 2.6 million passenger trips a year across two modes — bus and demand response — making it the 173rd-busiest transit operator in the United States. It is based in Vail, CO.

It spends $7.2 million a year running that service, or $2.75 per trip. Its bus service, the largest of its modes, costs $2.75 per rider — 80% below the $13.86 median for the 1,162 US agencies reporting bus.

Over the 5 years reported, up 2% on 2023.

Service by mode, 2024

ModeAnnual tripsOperating expense Cost per ridervs national median FareboxVehicles
Bus#140 of 1,162 nationally 2,623,386 $7.2 million $2.75 -80% — 26
Demand Response#1911 of 1,920 nationally 208 $9,034 $43.43 +14% — 1

Ridership, 2020–2024

2.6 million 1.5 million 2024 2020
YearAnnual trips Operating expense (2024 $)Cost per rider (2024 $)
2024 2,623,594 $7.2 million $2.75
2023 2,582,928 $7.2 million $2.77
2022 2,299,325 $7.0 million $3.05
2021 1,532,514 $6.6 million $4.31
2020 1,692,924 $6.1 million $3.62

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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.