The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) recently held a summit for the transit industry to share best-practice strategies.
The National Transit Renewal Summit was the final in a series of events designed to promote tools that safely improve ridership on transit systems while protecting riders and workers. Throughout July and August, more than 3,000 transit professionals and stakeholders participated.
At the summit, transit agencies, industry partners and advocacy organizations discussed best practices, resources and tools for a post-pandemic future.
FTA also published a comprehensive report to showcase the wide range of strategies, including ridership campaigns, system design review, restoring public confidence in transit safety and leveraging partnerships.
“We are grateful for the overwhelming participation in our Transit Renewal Initiative and excited to provide these resources to support transit agencies across America,” FTA Administrator Nuria Fernandez said. “Our panelists shared a wealth of ideas for all types of transit agencies — large, small, urban or rural — to consider adapting to renew transit ridership.”
Compared to 2019 levels, ridership continues to improve, according to the National Transit Database. For example, Tucson’s ridership levels increased 93 percent in June, and Lincoln, Neb.’s, increased 111 percent. In addition, the Greater Richmond Transit Co. is currently at 86 percent of 2019’s ridership levels.