1、CRS INSIGHT Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress INSIGHTINSIGHTi i Public Transit Ridership Continues to Decline William J. Mallett Specialist in Transportation Policy October 16, 2019 Despite suggestions that ridership on the nations public transportation systems is beginning to grow aga
2、in, available evidence suggests this optimism is premature. According to data from the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), 2018 marked the fourth straight year of declining ridership, falling by about 2.5% from the year before. Total ridership on transit buses and rail systems, includ
3、ing commuter rail services, and ferries in 2018 was below 10 billion for the first time since 2005. More recent quarterly data from APTA show that second-quarter ridership in 2019 was higher than in 2018, but the level for the first six months of the year, including both first- and second-quarter ri
4、dership, was lower in 2019 than in 2018. The extent of the nationwide decline in ridership has been obscured by trends in the New York City region, where approximately 40% of national ridership occurs. Between 2008 and 2018, nationwide ridership declined by 6%. But if the New York City region is exc
