Charlotte Area Transit system's LYNX Blue Line saw ridership growth of more than 12% during the third quarter of 2019.
STV
2 min to read
Charlotte Area Transit system's LYNX Blue Line saw ridership growth of more than 12% during the third quarter of 2019.
STV
Nationally, ridership increased by 2.20% compared to the third quarter of 2018, according to the quarterly "Transit Ridership Report" released today by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA). This includes a rise of 5.46% for heavy rail, 4.38% for commuter rail systems, and 0.59% for all bus systems.
Riders in the third quarter of 2019 took 2.5 billion trips. This is the second quarter in a row with an increase, and the first consecutive quarters with an increase since the third and fourth quarters of 2014. This added up to 54 million more trips in the third quarter of 2019 compared to the third quarter of 2018.
"Public transportation organizations are consistently improving their services to be more customer focused to meet the needs of today's riders," said APTA President/CEO Paul P. Skoutelas. "The landscape of American transportation is changing; the public transportation industry continues to implement technological innovations and improved access that benefits communities and is a critical part of the transportation network."
Notable increases in ridership include: Heavy Rail: New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (NY) +7.60% Washington Metro Area Transit Authority (DC) +7.23%
Light Rail: Charlotte Area Transit (NC) +12.74% Sacramento Regional Transit District (CA) +6.35% Minneapolis Metro Transit (MN) +4.03%
Commuter Rail: Denver Regional Transportation District (CO) +35.11% Sunrail (FL) +18.26% New York MTA Long Island Railroad (NY) +12.41%
Bus: Capital Metro (TX) +7.97% Utah Transit Authority (UT) +7.17% Los Angeles County MTA (CA) +4.75% Alameda-Contra Costa Transportation District (CA) +3.98%
The region’s fixed-route system finished out the year with a total of 373.5 million rides. Adding 12.3 million rides over 2024 represents an increase that is equal to the annual transit ridership of Kansas City.
The service is a flexible, reservation-based transit service designed to close the first- and last-mile gaps and connect riders to employment for just $5 per day.
The upgraded system, which went live earlier this month, supports METRO’s METRONow vision to enhance the customer experience, improve service reliability, and strengthen long-term regional mobility.
The agreement provides competitive wages and reflects strong labor-management collaboration, positive working relationships, and a shared commitment to building a world-class transit system for the community, said RTA CEO Lona Edwards Hankins.
The priorities are outlined in the 2026 Board and CEO Initiatives and Action Plan, which serves as a roadmap to guide the agency’s work throughout the year and ensure continued progress and accountability on voter-approved transportation investments and essential mobility services.
