Using 2020 metro populations with annual numbers from 2019 and 2023 ridership. I wanted to see how each selected “rust-belt” city is recovering from the service outages caused by COVID-19. These ridership numbers include all regional rides on both buses and trains. Here are the regional findings;

Allentown, PA (metro pop. 865,310)

The Lehigh & Northampton Transportation Authority (LANta) // est. 1972

$4 day pass (4/2024)

37 total routes serving Allentown, Bethlehem, and Easton, Pennsylvania

2 rapid bus routes
8 flex bus routes
4 circular bus routes

Fleet //

86 buses

System Ridership (LANta) //

4,368,566 annual riders (2019) >>> 4,181,500 annual riders (2023) // system ridership down 4.3%
14,400 weekday riders (Q4 2023)

Buffalo, NY (metro pop. 1,125,637)

The Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority (NFTA) // est. 1967

$5 day pass (4/2024)

62 total routes serving Erie/Niagara County, New York

1 ‘NFTA-METRO-Rail' Light Rail Line (13 Stations)
61 Bus Routes

Fleet //

310 buses
64 paratransit cutaway vans
27 light rail cars

System Ridership (NFTA) //

23,982,394 riders (2019) >>> 15,429,900 riders (2023) // system ridership down 35.7%

NFTA-METRO Light Rail Ridership

4,485,084 riders (2019) >>> 2,433,300 riders (2023) // metro rail ridership down 45.8%

Chicago, IL (metro pop. 9,618,502)

Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) // est. 1947

$5 day pass (4/2024)

148 total routes serving the city/suburbs of Chicago

140 Bus Routes
8 'L’ Metro Rail Lines (145 stations)

Fleet //

1,879 buses
1,190 rail cars

Budd Co. 2600-series (…soon to be retired)
Bombardier 5000-series
Morrison-Knudsen 3200-series
CRRC Sifang 7000-series (…currently being ordered)

System Ridership (CTA) //

455,743,542 annual riders (2019) >>> 279,146,200 annual riders (2023) // system ridership down 38.8%

Chicago ‘L’ Ridership

218,467,142 annual riders (2019) >>> 117,447,000 annual riders (2023) // rail ridership down 46.3%

Cincinnati, OH (metro pop. 2,265,051)

Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority (SORTA) // est. 1974

$5 SORTA metro day pass (4/2024)

47 total routes serving Hamilton/Butler/Clermont/Warren County

26 local bus routes
20 express bus routes
1 limited bus route

Fleet //

353 buses
46 paratransit vans

System Ridership (SORTA) //

13,150,087 annual riders (2019) >> 13,091,500 annual riders (2023) // system ridership down 0.5%
42,100 weekday riders (Q4 2019) >>> 44,800 weekday riders (Q4 2023) // weekday ridership up 6.1%

Another transit feature of Cincinatti is ’The Connector’, A revamped version of Cincy’s old electric streetcar system. Sporting five CAF Urbos 3’s; the 3.6 mile (5.8km) light rail line runs in a figure-8 pattern. Connecting Downtown Cincy with the Banks and Over-the-Rhine neighborhoods, and is FREE to use by the public. Though sporting annual ridership over a million in its early years of service. 'The Connector’ still can’t garner even half of Buffalo’s single metro rail line. Though, the service has been on a slow climb year over year; don’t go calling this thing a streetcar “system.” For a historic comparison; the Cincinatti Street Railway constantly clocked over 100 million riders annually during their electric streetcar tenure between 1889 and 1952. Furthermore, in 2000; even Cincinatti’s Metro bus system logged 25 million passengers. Research continues below…

’The Connector’ Streetcar // est. 2016
FREE to the public

1 streetcar line serving (18 stations)

4’8.5” (1,435mm) standard track gauge electrified by 750 V DC overhead line
Running 3.6mi (5.8km) between Riverfront Transit Center and Government Square

Fleet //

5 CAF Urbos 3 Electric Tram Cars

‘Connector’ Streetcar Ridership

530,016 annual riders (2019) >>> 1,108,092 annual riders (2023) // annual ridership up 52.2%

Cleveland, OH (metro pop. 2,185,825)

Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (RTA) // est. 1974

$5 day pass

45 total routes serving Cuyahoga County, OH

37 bus routes
4 rail routes

1 rapid transit line (Red Line) // 18 stations
3 light rail lines (Blue/Green/Waterfront Lines) // 34 stations

1 ‘B Line’ trolley route
3 bus rapid transit (BRT) routes

Fleet //

391 buses
40 rapid rail transit cars
34 light rail cars
12 trolley buses
40 BRT buses

System Ridership (RTA)

32,700,000 annual riders (2019) >>> 22,431,500 annual riders (2023) // annual ridership down 31.5%

RTA Rapid Transit Ridership

3,797,708 annual riders (2019) >>> 3,469,100 annual riders (2023) // annual ridership down 8.7%

Cleveland Light Rail Ridership

503,272 annual riders (2019) >>> 661,500 annual riders (2023) // annual ridership up 24%

Interesting. Although rapid route ridership was down nearly 9%; annual ridership of the other three light rail lines rose by 24%!

Detroit, MI (metro pop. 4,365,205)

Detroit Department of Transportation (DDOT) // est. 1922
Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation (SMART) // est. 1967

$5 SMART/DDOT day pass

81 routes serving Detroit & Wayne/Oakland/Macomb County

44 SMART metro bus routes
37 DDOT bus/paratransit routes
Detroit People Mover (13 stations)
The QLINE Streetcar (20 stations)

Fleet //

6 Brookville Liberty Modern Streetcars (QLINE)
262 SMART metro buses
323 DDOT city metro buses
11 UTDC ICTS Mark I train cars (Detroit People Mover)

System Ridership (SMART)

861,008 annual riders (2019) >>> 717,021 annual riders (2023) // annual ridership down 16.8%

System Ridership (DDOT)

22,800,000 annual riders (2019) >>> 11,048,700 annual riders (2023) // annual ridership down 51.6%

QLINE Ridership

2,195 average daily riders (2019) >>> 2,629 average daily riders (2023) // daily ridership up 16.6%

Detroit People Mover Ridership

1,605,283 annual riders (2019) >>> 656,500 annual riders (2023) // annual ridership down 59.1%

While most of Detroit’s public transit agencies are slow to make up ridership since 2020. Not the least of which is the People Mover hemorrhaging a 60% ridership loss. However, the city’s QLINE streetcar has Brough back all riders and then some, rising nearly 17% compared to pre-COVID levels.

Milwaukee, WI (metro pop. 1,574,731)

Milwaukee County Transit System (MCTS) // est. 1975

$4 day transit pass

43 routes serving Milwaukee/Ozaukee/Waukesha County

40 MCTS Bus Routes
CONNECT 1 BRT (Milwaukee-Marquette) Route
2 Milwaukee ’The Hop’ Streetcar Lines (21 stations)

Fleet //

11 Nova LFSe+ BRT Buses
360 Buses
5 Brookville Liberty Modern Streetcars

System Ridership (MCTS)

28,972,674 annual riders (2019) >>> 17,507,900 annual riders (2023) // annual ridership down 39.6%

’The Hop’ Streetcar Ridership

760,321 annual riders (2019) >>> 494,445 annual riders (2023) // annual ridership down 35%

A new fare collection system and BRT line, as well as future regional service expansion, a la Amtrak; gives Milwaukee a great shot to see service expansion. However, post-COVID ridership has been slow to come.

Philadelphia, PA (metro pop. 6,245,051)

Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) // est. 1965

$6 metro day pass

196 routes serving the Delaware Valley

115 metro bus routes
Route 59/66/75 trackless trolleys
13 SEPTA regional rail lines (150 stations)

Fleet //

91 Kawasaki B-IV subway cars
112 trolley vehicles
15 Siemens ACS-64 electric locomotives
26 ABB N-5 AC traction motors
130 low-floor ALSTOM streetcars (2027-2030)

System Ridership (SEPTA)

292,900,000 annual riders (2019) >>> 174,000,000 annual riders (2023) // annual ridership down 40.6%

Philly continues to slowly rebound their ridership number since the onset of the pandemic. Fortunately, more than 100 low-floor ALSTOM streetcars will implementing into SEPTA beginning in 2027.

Pittsburgh, PA (metro pop. 2,457,000)

Pittsburgh Regional Transit (PRT) // est. 1964

$5 one day pass

102 routes serving Allegheny/Beaver/Washington/Westmoreland County

2 funicular rail routes (Monongahela Incline & Duquesne [pronounced: dew-KAYN] Incline)
97 bus routes
3 ’T’ (Red/Blue/Silver) light-rail lines (53 stations)

Fleet //

687 buses
83 light rail vehicles
4 funicular cars

System Ridership (PRT)

62,200,000 annual riders (2019) >>> 39,730,300 annual riders (2023) // annual ridership down 36.2%

’T’ Light Rail Ridership

7,000,000 annual riders (2019) >>> 3,417,100 annual riders (2023) // annual ridership down 51.2%

PRT Bus Ridership

55,000,000 annual riders (2019) >>> 34,467,400 annual riders (2023) // annual ridership down 37.4%

Unfortunately, Pittsburgh also is not immune to a slow recovery of ridership since COVID. On a recent trip on Pittsburgh’s ’T’ service ran smoothly and still is one of the best metro rail systems in the region.

Furthermore, I took a cursory look at ridership numbers for a few other cities in Ohio.

Columbus, OH (metro pop. 2,138,926)

Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA) // est. 1971

COTA Ridership

19,398,300 annual riders (2019) >>> 11,127,967 annual riders (2023) // annual riders down 42.7%

Akron, OH (metro pop. 702,219)

METRO Regional Transit Authority (METRO RTA) // est. 1969

METRO RTA Ridership

4,960,026 annual riders (2019) >>> 4,260,900 annual riders (2023) // annual riders down 14.1%

Toledo, OH (metro pop. 606,240)

Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority (TARTA) // est. 1971

TARTA Ridership

2,005,000 annual riders (2019) >>> 1,874,162 annual riders (2023) // annual riders down 6.6%

Youngstown, OH (metro pop. 430,591)

Western Reserve Transit Authority (WRTA) // est. 1971

WRTA Ridership

1,509,900 annual riders (2019) >>> 1,707,200 annual riders (2023) // annual riders up 11.6%

Canton, OH (metro pop. 401,547)

Stark Area Regional Transit Authority (SARTA) // est. 1997

SARTA Ridership

2,342,300 annual riders (2019) >>> 1,371,600 annual riders (2023) // annual riders down 41.5%

Kent, OH (city pop. 28,215)

Portage Area Regional Transportation Authority // est. 1975

PARTA Ridership

1,156,000 annual riders (2019) >>> 903,300 annual riders (2023) // annual riders down 21.9%

Interestingly enough, despite continued population loss; annual system ridership for Youngstown’s WRTA was the only rise of these cities. Gathering up the overall system ridership of the major transit services covered here; we can see that ridership recovery is still well into the process. Though, for many cities in the ‘rust belt’ transit ridership seems to be on a continued upward trajectory as we make our way through 2024.

% ridership change between 2019-2023

Youngstown, OH // +11.6%
Cincinnati, OH // -0.5%
Allentown, PA // -4.3%
Toledo, OH // -6.6%
Akron, OH // -14.1%
Detroit, MI // -16.8%
Kent, OH // -21.9%
Cleveland, OH // -31.5%
Buffalo, NY // -35.8%
Pittsburgh, PA // -36.2%
Chicago, IL // -38.8%
Milwaukee, WI // -39.6%
Philadelphia, PA // -40.6%
Canton, OH // -41.5%
Columbus, OH // -42.7%

Works Cited //

https://www.penndot.pa.gov/Doing-Business/Transit/InformationandReports/Documents/Act%2044%20Performance%20Reviews/Act%2044%20Performance%20Reviews%20Round%202/Report-LANTA-PerfReviewRound2-Final(v07).pdf

https://lantabus.com/

https://metro.nfta.com/media/xefnkvjb/2019-metro_annual_performance_report.pdf

https://www.apta.com/wp-content/uploads/2023-Q4-Ridership-APTA.pdf

https://www.transitchicago.com/

https://www.transitchicago.com/assets/1/6/2019_Annual_Ridership_Report.pdf

https://www.go-metro.com/fare-information

https://www.apta.com/wp-content/uploads/2023-Q4-Ridership-APTA.pdf

https://www.cincinnati-oh.gov/streetcar/about-the-streetcar/

https://www.go-metro.com/uploads/2019%20Ridership/December%202019%20Ridership%20Report%20vf.pdf

https://www.cincinnati-oh.gov/streetcar/about-the-streetcar/ridership-records/

https://insights.cincinnati-oh.gov/stories/s/Streetcar-Ridership/n7hm-3f4b/

https://www.riderta.com/

https://www.riderta.com/sites/default/files/events/2019-12RidershipReport.pdf

https://www.riderta.com/routes/b-line

https://akronrrclub.wordpress.com/

https://www.riderta.com/sites/default/files/events/2019-12RidershipReport.pdf

https://detroitmi.gov/departments/detroit-department-transportation

https://www.smartbus.org/About/Our-Organization/SMART-Facts

https://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/news/smart-ridership-hits-record-high-punctuating-end-of-transit-agencys-pande/#:~:text=The%202023%20ridership%20is%20a,and%20safe%2C%E2%80%9D%20Gonzalez%20said.

https://www.smartbus.org/Portals/0/19_1.pdf

https://www.qlinedetroit.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/QLINE-Annual-Report-23.pdf

https://www.ridemcts.com/

https://wwww.septa.org/fares/

https://planning.septa.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Operating-Budget-FY2021.pdf

https://6abc.com/septa-regional-rail-train-expansion-philadelphia-commuters/14454932/

https://planning.septa.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/RRMay23.pdf

https://www.rideprt.org/

https://www.rideprt.org/siteassets/inside-the-pa/transparency/annual-service-report/01.08.24_final_asr_fy2023.pdf

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