VIA Metropolitan Transit
San Antonio, TX · NTD ID 60011 · 2024 report year
VIA Metropolitan Transit carries 30.7 million passenger trips a year across three modes — bus, demand response and vanpool — making it the 32nd-busiest transit operator in the United States. It is based in San Antonio, TX.
It spends $263 million a year running that service, or $8.55 per trip. Its bus service, the largest of its modes, costs $7.14 per rider — 48% below the $13.86 median for the 1,162 US agencies reporting bus.
Over the 10 years reported, ridership remains 28% below its 2019 level, the last full year before the pandemic, and up 10% on 2023. Fares cover 7% of operating cost.
Service by mode, 2024
| Mode | Annual trips | Operating expense | Cost per rider | vs national median | Farebox | Vehicles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bus#25 of 1,162 nationally | 28,947,825 | $207 million | $7.14 | -48% | 7% | 273 |
| Demand Response#10 of 1,920 nationally | 1,441,732 | $54.4 million | $37.73 | -1% | 3% | 310 |
| Vanpool#23 of 113 nationally | 326,954 | $1.3 million | $4.09 | -42% | 125% | 132 |
Ridership, 2015–2024
| Year | Annual trips | Operating expense (2024 $) | Cost per rider (2024 $) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 30,716,511 | $263 million | $8.55 |
| 2023 | 27,965,368 | $270 million | $9.66 |
| 2022 | 25,106,918 | $240 million | $9.57 |
| 2021 | 23,986,213 | $259 million | $10.81 |
| 2020 | 32,143,290 | $269 million | $8.37 |
| 2019 | 42,510,772 | $273 million | $6.41 |
| 2018 | 39,910,803 | $258 million | $6.46 |
| 2017 | 37,233,695 | $263 million | $7.07 |
| 2016 | 39,363,491 | $273 million | $6.94 |
| 2015 | 39,570,131 | $263 million | $6.65 |
Where VIA Metropolitan Transit ranks
- Cheapest Bus Systems by Cost per Rider #27 of 40
- Highest-Ridership Bus Agencies #25 of 40
- Most Expensive Demand-Response (Paratransit) Services by Cost per Rider #37 of 40
- Highest-Ridership Demand-Response (Paratransit) Services #10 of 40
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Ask NTD about VIA Metropolitan Transit →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.