2001 URBAN TRANSPORT DATA: 230 US METROPOLITAN AREAS
 Public Transport Operating Costs per Passenger Mile by
Metropolitan Area: 2001: Ranked
(Excludes Capital Costs and Debt Service: Note Below)

OPERATING COST PER PASSENGER MILE (EXCLUDES CAPITAL COSTS AND DEBT SERVICE)
           
Rank Metropolitan Area Operating Costs (2001) Passenger Miles Cost per Passenger Mile Inclusion of Capital Costs Would Result in Higher Relative Costs due to Rail System
1 San Luis Obispo $1,663 8,131,285 $0.204  
2 Brownsville $3,627 13,857,372 $0.262  
3 Florence $1,042 3,560,250 $0.293  
4 Honolulu $112,701 351,624,017 $0.321  
5 Houston $191,062 588,817,409 $0.324  
6 Pocatello $641 1,944,984 $0.329  
7 Las Vegas $59,018 172,458,517 $0.342  
8 Laredo $7,393 21,524,492 $0.343  
9 Lubbock $5,196 14,819,192 $0.351  
10 New York $7,213,408 18,923,850,316 $0.381 YES
11 El Paso $25,233 66,125,755 $0.382  
12 Atlanta $333,540 870,293,675 $0.383 YES
13 Richland $7,576 19,765,690 $0.383  
14 Monroe $2,155 5,601,840 $0.385  
15 Lafayette $4,901 12,657,548 $0.387  
16 Chicago $1,417,103 3,654,662,503 $0.388 YES
17 Fayetteville $837 2,132,233 $0.392  
18 Corpus Christi $11,949 30,105,054 $0.397  
19 Yuba City $1,404 3,484,513 $0.403  
20 Boston $763,944 1,866,154,235 $0.409 YES
21 Lafayette $2,036 4,732,035 $0.430  
22 San Antonio $76,221 175,049,481 $0.435  
23 San Diego $146,316 335,689,804 $0.436 YES
24 Cincinnati $76,793 174,494,159 $0.440  
25 Los Angeles $1,254,105 2,821,265,741 $0.445 YES
26 Orlando $50,406 113,317,718 $0.445  
27 Modesto $5,848 13,126,148 $0.446  
28 Bakersfield $13,768 30,662,286 $0.449  
29 Washington-Baltimore $1,200,237 2,659,553,749 $0.451 YES
30 Santa Barbara $14,586 32,056,097 $0.455  
31 Bangor $875 1,912,871 $0.457  
32 Champaign-Urbana $12,532 27,391,802 $0.458  
33 Visalia $2,463 5,337,381 $0.462  
34 Abilene $895 1,934,657 $0.463  
35 Binghampton $5,754 12,368,419 $0.465  
36 Shreveport $6,936 14,785,639 $0.469  
37 Tucson $31,099 65,471,139 $0.475  
38 Chico $1,454 3,040,586 $0.478  
39 Lychburg $2,866 5,992,705 $0.478  
40 San Francisco $1,435,921 2,947,519,887 $0.487 YES
41 Bloomington, IN $2,949 5,985,288 $0.493  
42 Daytona Beach $8,150 16,442,216 $0.496  
43 Miami $303,106 605,691,170 $0.500 YES
44 Philadelphia $751,794 1,463,131,875 $0.514 YES
45 Fresno $23,802 46,208,116 $0.515  
46 Clarksville $1,660 3,191,738 $0.520  
47 Monterrey $13,235 25,336,652 $0.522  
48 Albany, GA $1,401 2,680,001 $0.523  
49 Memphis $33,849 64,540,014 $0.524  
50 Sioux City $2,216 4,219,740 $0.525  
51 Lexington $6,089 11,564,848 $0.526  
52 Beaumont $3,552 6,716,911 $0.529  
53 Virginia Beach-Norfolk $43,855 82,659,800 $0.531  
54 Stockton $16,229 30,448,611 $0.533  
55 Charlotte $36,579 67,149,479 $0.545  
56 Baton Rouge $11,371 20,795,269 $0.547  
57 Charleston, SC $8,896 16,204,520 $0.549  
58 Glens Falls $770 1,393,197 $0.553  
59 Portland $225,084 405,414,272 $0.555 YES
60 Logan $1,154 2,072,815 $0.557  
61 Las Cruces $1,271 2,278,726 $0.558  
62 Wilmington $1,984 3,554,042 $0.558  
63 Roanoke $4,199 7,518,956 $0.558  
64 Little Rock $8,547 15,206,670 $0.562  
65 Hartford $37,823 66,921,567 $0.565  
66 Greenville $2,974 5,252,301 $0.566  
67 Alexandria, LA $1,666 2,910,463 $0.573  
68 State College $5,911 10,315,218 $0.573  
69 Gainesville 8,458.9 14,759,000 $0.573  
70 Colorado Springs $7,397 12,879,235 $0.574  
71 Denver $222,619 386,470,151 $0.576 YES
72 Sarasota $7,623 13,182,288 $0.578  
73 Redding $2,190 3,776,061 $0.580  
74 Richmond $25,685 44,079,846 $0.583  
75 Mobile $3,881 6,646,354 $0.584  
76 Milwaukee $128,162 217,121,495 $0.590  
77 Wichita $6,397 10,834,088 $0.590  
78 Waco $1,995 3,368,608 $0.592  
79 Rochester $2,607 4,394,070 $0.593  
80 Topeka $2,909 4,883,820 $0.596  
81 Indianapolis $29,755 49,880,086 $0.597  
82 St. Louis $144,706 240,371,304 $0.602 YES
83 Lancaster $5,501 9,043,045 $0.608  
84 New Orleans $102,819 168,922,808 $0.609 YES
85 Dallas-Fort Worth $270,101 441,767,781 $0.611 YES
86 Sacramento $91,805 149,246,025 $0.615 YES
87 Reno $16,497 26,765,627 $0.616  
88 Nashville $21,201 34,219,649 $0.620  
89 Jacksonville $32,414 52,200,049 $0.621  
90 Minneapolis-St. Paul $212,105 341,547,227 $0.621  
91 Pittsburgh $235,323 376,486,029 $0.625 YES
92 Rockford $5,591 8,916,249 $0.627  
93 Fort Myers $8,011 12,774,171 $0.627  
94 Allentown $9,882 15,605,646 $0.633  
95 Seattle $464,252 731,429,930 $0.635  
96 Grand Forks $1,154 1,815,616 $0.636  
97 Rapid City $423 658,750 $0.642  
98 Scranton $8,255 12,749,469 $0.647  
99 Austin $69,270 106,167,220 $0.652  
100 Augusta $2,650 4,051,516 $0.654  
101 Oklahoma City $11,957 18,043,158 $0.663  
102 Asheville $2,403 3,622,260 $0.663  
103 Peoria $7,743 11,409,623 $0.679  
104 Syracuse $24,006 35,036,789 $0.685  
105 Jackson $1,622 2,364,775 $0.686  
106 Athens, FA $2,111 3,052,768 $0.691  
107 Eugene $21,407 30,954,161 $0.692  
108 Iowa City $4,372 6,295,904 $0.694  
109 Tulsa $11,462 16,468,394 $0.696  
110 Missoula $1,949 2,786,532 $0.699  
111 San Angelo $849 1,204,280 $0.705  
112 Lincoln $5,502 7,778,376 $0.707  
113 Raleigh-Durham $26,667 37,593,924 $0.709  
114 Longview $1,090 1,528,165 $0.713  
115 Salt Lake City $95,035 129,807,216 $0.732 YES
116 Jackson $1,408 1,920,738 $0.733  
117 Tampa-St. Petersburg $60,920 83,054,610 $0.733  
118 St. Cloud $3,268 4,405,747 $0.742  
119 Myrtle Beach $2,224 2,995,384 $0.743  
120 Columbus, GA $2,719 3,661,552 $0.743  
121 Eau Claire $2,702 3,616,962 $0.747  
122 Louisville $40,460 54,119,130 $0.748  
123 Houma $772 1,028,952 $0.750  
124 Tuscaloosa $919 1,212,261 $0.758  
125 Biloxi $2,679 3,532,154 $0.758  
126 Utica $4,904 6,452,724 $0.760  
127 Pensacola $5,223 6,836,366 $0.764  
128 Williamsport $2,457 3,198,826 $0.768  
129 Lansing $17,421 22,481,582 $0.775  
130 Charleston $7,084 9,122,881 $0.776  
131 Lakeland $4,329 5,559,946 $0.779  
132 Anchorage $11,719 14,983,880 $0.782  
133 Des Moines $10,418 13,311,962 $0.783  
134 Chattanooga $8,387 10,684,650 $0.785  
135 Pueblo $2,222 2,822,032 $0.787  
136 Spokane $25,600 32,358,402 $0.791  
137 Greensboro $13,587 17,150,790 $0.792  
138 West Palm Beach $27,723 34,922,119 $0.794  
139 South Bend $7,434 9,359,956 $0.794  
140 Savannah $9,464 11,798,643 $0.802  
141 Ocala $833 1,036,670 $0.804  
142 Fort Collins $4,349 5,360,560 $0.811  
143 Albuquerque $21,193 26,107,650 $0.812  
144 Cleveland $244,387 297,810,344 $0.821 YES
145 Burlington, VT $3,945 4,796,372 $0.822  
146 Columbia $4,813 5,847,866 $0.823  
147 Huntsville $1,198 1,452,668 $0.825  
148 Toledo $18,700 22,431,291 $0.834  
149 Albany $35,530 42,575,172 $0.835  
150 Huntington $3,244 3,882,920 $0.835  
151 Waterloo $1,593 1,902,374 $0.837  
152 Johnstown $4,344 5,157,678 $0.842  
153 Tallahassee $8,301 9,836,243 $0.844  
154 Madison $28,637 33,888,651 $0.845  
155 Wausau $2,220 2,610,657 $0.850  
156 Dayton $45,101 52,675,090 $0.856  
157 Kansas City $52,090 59,295,499 $0.878  
158 Appleton $6,139 6,961,654 $0.882  
159 Erie $6,890 7,781,940 $0.885  
160 Boise $4,394 4,954,340 $0.887  
161 Phoenix $132,361 149,112,502 $0.888  
162 Bellingham $7,492 8,374,090 $0.895  
163 Detroit $273,729 305,392,621 $0.896  
164 Portland $3,997 4,408,450 $0.907  
165 Columbus $67,437 74,238,509 $0.908  
166 Green Bay $4,624 5,069,757 $0.912  
167 Buffalo $69,958 76,581,527 $0.914 YES
168 Fayetteville $2,819 3,071,002 $0.918  
169 Reading $5,449 5,927,593 $0.919  
170 Duluth $8,610 9,340,403 $0.922  
171 Rochester $35,364 37,826,983 $0.935  
172 Davenport-Moline $11,765 12,580,877 $0.935  
173 Charlottesville $3,248 3,456,109 $0.940  
174 Sioux Falls $2,393 2,542,007 $0.942  
175 Yakima $3,427 3,593,420 $0.954  
176 Birmingham $12,475 12,975,673 $0.961  
177 Melbourne $2,007 2,087,376 $0.961  
178 Kalamazoo $8,745 9,049,114 $0.966  
179 Omaha $14,325 14,798,026 $0.968  
180 Grand Rapids $17,847 18,373,790 $0.971  
181 Bloomington, IL $2,497 2,570,371 $0.971  
182 Evansville $3,981 3,934,266 $1.012  
183 La Crosse $2,888 2,840,237 $1.017  
184 Mansfield $985 954,392 $1.032  
185 Columbia, MO $1,921 1,861,956 $1.032  
186 Fargo $2,377 2,257,633 $1.053  
187 Muncie $3,861 3,644,805 $1.059  
188 Ithaca $6,177 5,801,899 $1.065  
189 Springfield $4,841 4,527,041 $1.069  
190 Cheyenne $444 414,087 $1.073  
191 Decatur $2,702 2,383,041 $1.134  
192 Springfield $33,785 29,801,668 $1.134  
193 Cedar Rapids $4,774 4,207,395 $1.135  
194 Merced $2,451 2,132,154 $1.149  
195 Providence $48,497 41,480,597 $1.169  
196 Youngstown $5,504 4,691,001 $1.173  
197 Janesville $3,140 2,641,662 $1.189  
198 Billings $2,378 1,985,333 $1.198  
199 Fort Wayne $5,476 4,512,758 $1.213  
200 Altoona $2,838 2,337,484 $1.214  
201 Harrisburg $11,638 9,401,282 $1.238  
202 Elmira $3,701 2,917,577 $1.269  
203 Johnson City, TN, VA $1,417 1,106,110 $1.281  
204 Springvield $5,350 4,142,370 $1.292  
205 Knowville $8,589 6,452,162 $1.331  
206 Grand Junction $1,994 1,494,125 $1.334  
207 St. Joseph $1,356 1,001,825 $1.354  
208 McAllen $1,260 930,153 $1.355  
209 Sheboygan $2,969 2,178,567 $1.363  
210 Panama City $256 186,968 $1.369  
211 New London $20,609 14,865,084 $1.386  
212 Amarillo $1,773 1,217,862 $1.456  
213 Lewiston $455 301,500 $1.508  
214 Auburn $141 88,995 $1.579  
215 College Station $1,279 800,856 $1.597  
216 Parkersburg $1,154 704,875 $1.638  
217 Benton Harbor $174 104,865 $1.659  
218 Saginaw $7,859 4,661,071 $1.686  
219 Great Falls $1,790 973,300 $1.839  
220 Killeen $1,026 541,365 $1.895  
221 Santa Fe $3,857 1,968,872 $1.959  
222 Wheeling $2,189 1,096,608 $1.996  
223 Sumter $536 263,980 $2.030  
224 Medford $3,082 1,496,685 $2.060  
225 Idaho Falls $239 102,960 $2.317  
226 Danville $652 257,248 $2.536  
227 Canton $10,378 4,019,740 $2.582  
228 Vero Beach $589 213,882 $2.752  
229 Montgomery $1,984 705,982 $2.810  
230 Jackson $3,331 1,180,156 $2.823  
231 Terre Haute $1,070 219,857 $4.869  
Total Operating Cost $20,141,661 44,794,371,576 $0.450  
Total Capital & Operating Expenditure $30,268,858 44,794,371,576 $0.676  
           
Caculated from Federal Transit Administration National Transit Database: 2001  
           
Rail Note:        
Operating costs only. Does not include capital costs and debt service. Transit capital costs and debt service may add one-third more than operating costs (there is no national source for transit capital costs and debt service). For bus systems, capital costs and debt service are typically less than 25 percent in relation to operating costs. For rail systems, capital costs and debt service can exceed 50 percent of operating costs. Transit systems with substantial rail components, as a result, will rank higher in operating costs than they would if total costs were available. For example, Washington's Metro bus and rail system incurred depreciation, amortization and interest costs 44 percent above the operating cost that the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority reported as operating costs to the Federal Transit Administration in 2001 (according to the WMATA Comprehensive Annual Financial Report).
Total Capital and Operating Expenditure estimated based upon total transit industry ratio.  
20010621        

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