During the second quarter of this year, Americans took more than 2.5 billion passenger trips on public transportation, an 11 million trip increase from 2018, according to an American Public Transportation Association (APTA) report.
All modes of transportation increased by nearly one-half percent. Bus systems in areas with 2 million or more residents increased 0.5 percent while areas with less than 100,000 residents saw a 1.51 percent spike in bus passengers.
Commuter rail systems grew 3.54 percent, and heavy rail rose 1.44 percent.
“Mobility is a focus of communities nationwide and public transit is a safe, reliable and convenient option for tens of millions of residents,” Paul P. Skoutelas, APTA president and CEO, said. “Every day, public transportation gets Americans to work, to education, and to healthcare. While trends fluctuate with driving patterns and gas prices, public transit systems continue to enhance the customer experience while also striving to innovate to meet the needs of our riders.”
Increases include Sunrail in Florida, that grew 84.5 percent; Denver Regional Transportation District’s commuter rail, that grew 29.2 percent; Blacksburg Transit in Virginia, rising 27.9 percent; New York MTA Long Island Railroad, growing 10.6 percent; and King County Department of Transportation’s light rail and streetcars in Washington, growing 10.5 percent.