
America’s future is riding on public transportation
The federal investment in transportation is an investment in American jobs and in protecting global economic competitiveness. Public transportation is the way that millions of Americans get to and from jobs, school, medical care, and other places they travel to everyday. More than 10 billion times a year public transportation customers use an interconnected system of national significance that links our regions, urban and suburban centers, and rural communities. Only through substantial and sustained investment may the integrated network of public transportation services maintain its essential role in the nation’s overall transportation system.
Public transportation benefits by the numbers
Robust investment in public transportation, as outlined by the APTA recommendations, annually results in more than a million jobs, generates billions in tax revenue, saves people money, and provides a dramatic boost for the private sector. It helps people make vital connections, creates shorter and less expensive trips for non-public transit users, expands the labor market for employers, and provides Americans the opportunity for upward mobility.
Quick Facts
- In 2016, Americans took 10.4 billion trips on public transportation.
- People board public transportation 35 million times each weekday.
- Since 1995, public transit ridership is up 34 percent, outpacing population growth, which is up 21 percent, and vehicle miles traveled (VTM), which is up 33 percent.
- Public transportation is a $61 billion industry that employs nearly 400,000 people.
- More than 6,800 organizations provide public transportation in the United States.