APTA's 'Transit Wrapped' Names Agencies with Top Ridership Gains
The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, Seattle’s King County Metro, and San Franciso Muni were the top three agencies in terms of ridership growth for agencies with 50 million or more annual trips, while GO Transit topped the list for Canadian agencies.

DC's WMATA showed a ridership growth of 20%, according to APTA's year-end report.
Photo: New Flyer
The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) released its “Transit Wrapped 2024” report, detailing the transit agencies with the largest ridership increases this year.
The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), Seattle’s King County Metro, and San Franciso Muni were the top three agencies in terms of ridership growth for agencies with 50 million or more annual trips, while Milwaukee’s MCTS (15 to 50 million annual trips); Jamaica, N.Y.’s AirTran JFK (three to 15 million annual trips); and Detroit People Mover (Under three million annual trips) topped the list in their respective categories.
Meanwhile in Canada, Toronto’s GO Transit topped the list.
Millions more people across America are riding public transportation in 2024! Check out the #transit systems with the largest ridership increases this year.#TransitWrapped2024pic.twitter.com/hpu0lbk6rl
— APTA (@APTA_info) December 4, 2024
APTA’s Transit Wrapped 2024 Lists
The complete top five lists as shared by APTA via X (formerly Twitter), include:
Systems with 50+ million annual riders
WMATA (Washington, DC) – 20%
King County Metro (King County, Washington) – 14%
San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (San Francisco) – 14%
Metropolitan Transit System (San Diego) – 13%
Chicago Transit Authority (Chicago) – 13%
Systems with between 15 and 50 million annual riders
Milwaukee County Transit System(Milwaukee, Wis.) – 28%
Montgomery County Transit (Montgomery County, Md.) – 20%
Capital District Transportation Authority (Albany, N.Y.) – 19%
Utah Transit Authority (Salt Lake City) – 17%
Pace Suburban Bus (South Holland, Ill.) – 15%
Systems with between three and 15 million annual riders
AirTran JFK (New Jersey and New York) – 31%
Stanislaus Regional Transit Authority (Modesto, Calif.) – 28%
Hampton Roads Transit (Hampton Roads, Va) – 26%
METRO Regional Transit Authority (Akron, Ohio) – 23%
Kitsap Transit (Kitsap County, Wash.) – 20%
Systems with fewer than three million annual riders
Detroit People Mover (Detroit) – 80%
Portage Area Regional Transit Authority (Portage County, Ohio) – 52%
Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit (Marin and Sonoma counties, Calif.) – 32%
City of Las Cruces (Cruces, N.M.) – 31%
Transfort (Fort Collins, Colo.) – 29%
APTA members in Canada saw more passengers getting on-board #transit in 2024! Check out the top five systems with the biggest jumps in ridership:
1. @GOtransit ↗️32%
2. @calgarytransit ↗️20%
3. @CityofEdmonton ↗️16%
4. @YRTViva ↗️16%
5. @winnipegtransit ↗️12%#TransitWrapped2024pic.twitter.com/Y5xKIIKCXL— APTA (@APTA_info) December 6, 2024
Top Canadian Agencies
GO Transit (Toronto) - 32%
Calgary Transit (Calgary) – 20%
Edmonton Transit Service (Edmonton) – 16%
York Region Transit (Richmond Hill, Ontario) – 16%
Winnipeg Transit (Winnipeg) – 12%
More Management

METRO Opens Submissions for 2026 Motorcoach Awards
Nominations are now being accepted for METRO Magazine’s Operator of the Year and Innovative Operator of the Year awards.
Read More →
New York MTA Advances Final Contract for Second Avenue Subway Expansion
Contract Four is the largest in the Second Avenue Subway Phase 2 project and includes construction of station infrastructure, tracks, and signals for the subway expansion, MTA officials said. Work on Contract Four will begin in 2027.
Read More →
Transit Agencies Highlight Safety Gains at National Summit
Leaders from 15 major transit systems shared crime-reduction results and safety initiatives while discussing the role of continued federal support.
Read More →
NITA Names New Leadership, Expands Reduced-Fare Program at First Board Meeting
The new regional transit authority appointed its first board chair and interim executive director while extending reduced fares across CTA, Metra, and Pace for eligible riders.
Read More →
Beyond the Checklist: A Structured Approach to Transit Maintenance
Reliability-Centered Maintenance helps transit agencies move beyond routine checklists to focus limited resources on the assets and failures that have the greatest impact on safety, reliability, and service.
Read More →
APTA 2026 Nominating Committee Selects Leadership Slate, Names Chair and Vice Chair Nominees
Leadership changes will help shape the association’s priorities and its representation of the transportation industry during the 2026–2027 term.
Read More →
DART Launches Major Security, Fare Enforcement Initiative
The 90-day demonstration will deploy coordinated security teams at five light rail stations while testing controlled access and gathering data to guide future investments.
Read More →Advancing Fare Collection Through Technology and Innovation
Learn about delivering 1300 gates at 91 stations while managing fare evasion. Explore the large scale deployment, solution customization and real-world results that affect the region. Prepare for deployment in your region now.
Read More →
Game Day in Motion: Moving Millions During the 2026 World Cup
Between packed transit stations and team motorcoaches, see how agencies and operators across North America tackled the transportation demands of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Read More →
Surface Transportation Extension Averts Shutdown, Leaves Transit Funding Gap
The stopgap keeps federal transportation programs moving, but missing advance funding could complicate the transit and rail projects agencies are planning next.
Read More →
