Whatcom Transportation Authority
Bellingham, WA · NTD ID 00021 · 2024 report year
Whatcom Transportation Authority carries 4.0 million passenger trips a year across three modes — bus, demand response and vanpool — making it the 130th-busiest transit operator in the United States. It is based in Bellingham, WA.
It spends $47.0 million a year running that service, or $11.83 per trip. Its bus service, the largest of its modes, costs $8.15 per rider — 41% below the $13.86 median for the 1,162 US agencies reporting bus.
Over the 10 years reported, ridership remains 15% below its 2019 level, the last full year before the pandemic, and up 7% on 2023. Fares cover 4% of operating cost.
Service by mode, 2024
| Mode | Annual trips | Operating expense | Cost per rider | vs national median | Farebox | Vehicles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bus#110 of 1,162 nationally | 3,760,005 | $30.7 million | $8.15 | -41% | 5% | 48 |
| Demand Response#131 of 1,920 nationally | 188,042 | $16.2 million | $86.10 | +126% | 1% | 43 |
| Vanpool#75 of 113 nationally | 29,687 | $199,894 | $6.73 | -5% | 44% | 12 |
Ridership, 2015–2024
| Year | Annual trips | Operating expense (2024 $) | Cost per rider (2024 $) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 3,977,734 | $47.0 million | $11.83 |
| 2023 | 3,724,696 | $45.1 million | $12.12 |
| 2022 | 3,101,980 | $46.7 million | $15.07 |
| 2021 | 1,864,402 | $40.2 million | $21.57 |
| 2020 | 2,049,632 | $38.2 million | $18.63 |
| 2019 | 4,703,865 | $39.2 million | $8.33 |
| 2018 | 4,805,835 | $37.2 million | $7.75 |
| 2017 | 4,870,954 | $36.6 million | $7.51 |
| 2016 | 4,968,178 | $34.2 million | $6.87 |
| 2015 | 5,200,826 | $33.0 million | $6.34 |
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Ask NTD about Whatcom Transportation 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.