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West Virginia University

Morgantown, WV · NTD ID 30107 · 2024 report year

Annual trips1.6 million #238 in the US
Operating expense$4.9 million 2024, as reported
Cost per rider$3.15 all modes combined
Farebox recovery2.7% fares ÷ operating cost

West Virginia University carries 1.6 million passenger trips a year on monorail/automated guideway service — making it the 238th-busiest transit operator in the United States, and the largest in West Virginia. It is based in Morgantown, WV.

It spends $4.9 million a year running that service, or $3.15 per trip. Its monorail/automated guideway service, the largest of its modes, costs $3.15 per rider — 74% below the $12.17 median for the 6 US agencies reporting monorail/automated guideway.

Over the 9 years reported, ridership is 7% above its 2019 level, the last full year before the pandemic, and down 2% on 2023. Fares cover 3% of operating cost.

Service by mode, 2024

ModeAnnual tripsOperating expense Cost per ridervs national median FareboxVehicles
Monorail/Automated Guideway#3 of 6 nationally 1,565,718 $4.9 million $3.15 -74% 3% 54

Ridership, 2015–2024

2.3 million 1.4 million 2024 2015
YearAnnual trips Operating expense (2024 $)Cost per rider (2024 $)
2024 1,565,718 $4.9 million $3.15
2023 1,600,303 $5.5 million $3.45
2022 1,398,893 $7.2 million $5.12
2020 1,484,262 $5.6 million $3.77
2019 1,469,292 $7.1 million $4.86
2018 1,961,676 $7.0 million $3.57
2017 2,064,004 $7.0 million $3.40
2016 2,213,138 $6.8 million $3.08
2015 2,349,023 $6.6 million $2.79

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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.