The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) reported that public transit ridership in 2023 reached 79% of pre-pandemic levels, showing a 16% year-over-year growth. While smaller cities saw better ridership recovery compared to larger cities, significant variations were observed across different transit modes. Bus transit reached 81% of 2019 ridership by December 2023, while commuter rail lagged at 65%, light rail at 73%, and heavy rail at 70%. (Note: In the pre-pandemic year of 2019, people took 9.9 billion trip on public transportation, according to APTA.)

Read the full article on Smart Cities Dive here, but in summary, the article highlights the recovery trends in public transit ridership following the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The increase in ridership to 79% of pre-pandemic levels indicates a positive trajectory for the industry, with smaller cities demonstrating more robust recovery rates, potentially due to factors like teleworking options and service delivery reliability.

The disparities in ridership recovery across transit modes underscore the varying impacts of the pandemic on different modes of transportation. Bus transit's higher recovery rate compared to commuter rail could suggest a preference for more flexible and accessible modes of transportation, particularly for non-commuting trips. The challenges faced by commuter rail and heavy rail modes may be attributed to reduced office occupancy—with average U.S. office occupancy currently hovering around 50% of pre-pandemic levels—and changes in commuting patterns due to remote and hybrid work arrangements.

The APTA's analysis of the factors influencing ridership recovery, such as the makeup of local economies and service reliability, emphasizes the multifaceted nature of transit ridership trends, recognizing of the importance of transit service delivery and external economic factors in driving ridership recovery underscores the need for tailored strategies to address the evolving needs of transit users in different cities and modes of transportation.

Overall, the article provides valuable insights into the complexities of public transit ridership recovery post-pandemic and highlights the importance of adapting transit services to meet changing commuter behaviors and economic conditions.

Source: Smart Cities Dive

Transit worker safety the focus of FTA plan updates addressing bus collisions, assaults on transit workers and other risks – Smart Cities Dive, April 2024

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has issued a final rule updating safety plans for transit workers and passengers. This update, the first major one to the Public Transportation Agency Safety Plans regulation, applies to over 700 transit agencies on federally supported transit systems. The changes address requirements from the 2021 infrastructure law to improve safety management system procedures, increase transit worker involvement in safety plan development, and provide de-escalation training.