List of United States light rail systems by ridership
The following is a list of all light rail systems in the United States, ranked by ridership. Also included are those urban streetcar/trolley systems that are providing regular public transit service (i.e. operating year-round and at least five days/week). This list does not include statistics for metro/rapid transit systems (see: the List of United States rapid transit systems by ridership for those). Daily and annual ridership figures are based on "average weekday unlinked passenger trips" (where transfers between lines are counted as two separate passenger "boardings" or "trips"). The annual ridership figures for 2014 and average weekday ridership figures for the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2015 come from the American Public Transportation Association's (APTA) Ridership Reports statistics for the second quarter (Q4) of 2015,[1] unless otherwise noted (e.g. NJ Transit systems). References with supplementary (i.e. non-APTA) ridership figures are included in the System column.
List
System | Largest city served |
Annual Ridership (2015)[1] |
Avg. daily weekday boardings (Q4 2015)[1] |
System length |
Avg. daily boardings per mile (Q4 2015) |
Year opened |
Stations | Lines | Year last expanded | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | MBTA light rail:[note 1] Green Line & Ashmont–Mattapan High Speed Line[note 2] |
Boston | 66,344,100 | 186,200 | 26 miles (42 km)[2] | 7,162 | 1897;[3] 1929 |
74[2] | 5[2] | 2004; n/a |
2 | Metro Rail light rail:[note 1] Blue, Expo, Gold & Green Lines |
Los Angeles | 60,572,200 | 189,700 | 98.5 miles (158.5 km)[4] | 2,339 | 1990[4] | 80[4] | 4[4] | 2016[4] |
3 | Muni Metro[note 1][5] (incl. E Embarcadero[note 2] & F Market[6][7][note 2]) |
San Francisco | 52,122,600 | 156,000 | 35.7 miles (57.5 km)[8] | 4,370 | 1912;[9] 1980[8] |
152[7][8] | 9[6][8] | 2007 |
4 | San Diego Trolley[note 3] (incl. Silver Line[10][note 2]) |
San Diego | 40,742,300 | 123,300 | 53.5 miles (86.1 km)[11] | 2,305 | 1981[11] | 53[11] | 4[10][11] | 2005[11] |
5 | MAX Light Rail[note 3] | Portland | 38,494,500 | 122,900 | 60 miles (97 km) | 2,048 | 1986 | 97 | 5 | 2015 |
6 | DART[note 3] | Dallas | 30,116,600 | 104,800 | 93 miles (150 km)[12] | 1,164 | 1996[13] | 64[12] | 4[14] | 2016[13] |
7 | SEPTA light rail:[15][note 1] Subway–Surface Lines, Suburban Trolley Lines & Girard Ave Trolley[note 2] |
Philadelphia | 26,742,500 | 111,600 | 68.4 miles (110.1 km)[16][17] | 1,632 | 1906 | >100[16] | 8[16][17] | 2005 |
8 | Denver RTD[note 3] The Ride Light Rail |
Denver | 25,518,600 | 76,600 | 48 miles (77 km)[18] | 1,630 | 1994[19] | 46[18] | 6[18] | 2013[20] |
9 | METRO Light Rail[note 3] | Minneapolis-St. Paul | 23,003,400 | 71,400 | 21.8 miles (35.1 km)[21][22] | 3,275 | 2004[21] | 37[21][22] | 2[21][22] | 2014[22] |
10 | TRAX (UTA)[note 3] | Salt Lake City | 19,704,300 | 67,300 | 44.8 miles (72.1 km)[23] | 1,502 | 1999[24] | 50[25] | 3[25] | 2013 |
11 | Hudson–Bergen Light Rail and Newark Light Rail[note 1][26] |
Jersey City & Newark City | 19,701,238[27] | 66,299[27] | 23.25 miles (37.42 km)[27] | 2,852 | 2006 | 41[28] | 5[28] | 1935 |
12 | Valley Metro Rail[29] | Phoenix | 16,865,300 | 58,700 | 26 miles (42 km)[30] | 2,258 | 2008[31] | 35[32] | 1[31] | 2016[30] |
13 | METRORail | Houston | 16,500,400 | 60,600 | 22.7 miles (36.5 km)[33][34] | 2,670 | 2004[34] | 44[33] | 3[33] | 2015[33] |
14 | MetroLink | St. Louis | 16,081,500 | 47,600 | 46 miles (74 km)[35] | 1,035 | 1993[36] | 37[35] | 2[37] | 2006[38] |
15 | Sacramento RT Light Rail | Sacramento | 12,732,100 | 45,300 | 42.9 miles (69.0 km)[39] | 1,056 | 1987[39] | 53[39] | 3[39] | 2015[39] |
16 | Link light rail:[note 3][40] Tacoma Link & Central Link |
Tacoma & Seattle |
12,688,300 | 41,000 | 20.4 miles (32.8 km)[41] | 2,010 | 2003, 2009 |
5,[41] 15[41] |
2[41] | 2016[42] |
17 | Santa Clara VTA Light Rail[note 3] |
San Jose | 11,030,400 | 33,400 | 42.2 miles (67.9 km)[43] | 791 | 1987[43] | 62[43] | 3[43] | 2005[43] |
18 | The T: Pittsburgh Light Rail |
Pittsburgh | 8,132,900 | 22,281[note 4] | 26.2 miles (42.2 km)[44] | 850 | 1984[note 5] | 53[44] | 2[44] | 2012[44] |
19 | RTA Streetcars in New Orleans[note 2] |
New Orleans | 7,285,000 | 22,900 | 22.3 miles (35.9 km)[45][46] | 1,027 | 1835 | streetcar-like surface stops | 4[45] | 2013[45] |
20 | San Francisco cable car system[note 2][note 6] |
San Francisco | 6,910,000 | 17,700 | 5.2 miles (8.4 km) | 3,404 | 1878[47] | streetcar-like surface stops | 3[7][48] | 1952 |
21 | Baltimore Light Rail[note 1] | Baltimore | 6,888,500 | 22,800 | 33 miles (53 km)[49] | 691 | 1992 | 33[49] | 3[49] | 1997 |
22 | Buffalo Metro Rail | Buffalo | 5,218,700 | 17,100 | 6.4 miles (10.3 km) | 2,672 | 1984 | 14[50] | 1[50] | n/a |
23 | Charlotte Area Transit System: Blue Line |
Charlotte | 5,072,300 | 16,700 | 9.6 miles (15.4 km)[51] | 1,740 | 2007[52] | 15[51] | 1[51] | 2017 (planned)[53] |
24 | Portland Streetcar[note 7] | Portland | 4,623,520[54][note 8] | 15,248[54][note 9] | 7.35 miles (11.83 km)[55] | 2,723 | 2001[55] | 76[55] | 2[55] | 2015[56] |
25 | River LINE[note 1][57] | Trenton- Camden |
2,830,339[27] | 8,954[27] | 34 miles (55 km)[27] | 263 | 2004 | 20[58] | 1[58] | n/a |
26 | SPRINTER[note 3][59] | Oceanside -Escondido |
2,739,900 | 8,900 | 22 miles (35 km)[60] | 405 | 2008[60] | 15[60] | 1[60] | n/a |
27 | RTA Rapid Transit:[note 10] Blue and Green Lines |
Cleveland | 2,608,100 | 7,145[note 4] | 15.3 miles (24.6 km)[61] | 467 | 1913[62] | 34[61] | 2[61] | 1996[62] |
28 | Tide Light Rail | Norfolk | 1,695,900 | 5,800 | 7.4 miles (11.9 km)[63] | 784 | 2011[64] | 11[63] | 1[63] | n/a |
29 | Seattle Streetcar[note 3] | Seattle | 622,000 | 1,800 | 3.8 miles (6.1 km) | 474 | 2007 | 21 | 2 | 2016 |
30 | MATA Trolleys[note 2] | Memphis | 485,100[note 11] | 0[note 11] | 6.3 miles (10.1 km) | 0[note 11] | 1993[65] | 25[66] | 3[66] | 2004[65] |
31 | TECO Line Streetcars[note 2] | Tampa | 285,900 | 600 | 2.7 miles (4.3 km)[67] | 222 | 2002 | 11[68] | 1[68] | 2010 |
32 | S Line (Utah Transit Authority) | Salt Lake City | n/a | 1,087[69] | 2 miles (3.2 km) | 544 | 2013 | 7 | 1 | n/a |
33 | Sun Link | Tucson | n/a | 4,000[70] | 3.9 miles (6.3 km)[71] | 1,026 | 2014 | 22[71] | 1[71] | n/a |
34 | Atlanta Streetcar | Atlanta | n/a | n/a | 2.7 miles (4.3 km) | n/a | 2014 | 12 | 1 | n/a |
35 | Dallas Streetcar | Dallas | n/a | n/a | 2.45 miles (3.94 km) | n/a | 2015 | 6 | 1 | 2016 |
36 | DC Streetcar | Washington, D.C. | n/a | n/a | 2.4 miles (3.9 km) | n/a | 2016 | 8 | 1 | n/a |
37 | KC Streetcar | Kansas City | n/a | n/a | 2.2 miles (3.5 km) | n/a | 2016 | 10 | 1 | n/a |
Gallery
-
MBTA Green Line
-
LACMTA Gold Line
-
Muni Metro's T Third line
-
DART Green Line
-
METRO Blue Line
-
St. Louis MetroLink Train
-
Houston METRORail Red Line
Systems excluded from ridership table
The following light rail systems have been excluded from the ridership table above:
System | Largest city served | Opened | Route length | Reason(s) for exclusion from Ridership table |
---|---|---|---|---|
Galveston Island Trolley | Galveston, TX | 1988[72] | 6.8 miles (10.9 km)[72] | Galveston's heritage streetcar trolley system is non-operational – it has suspended its service since September 2008 due to damage from Hurricane Ike. |
Kenosha Streetcars | Kenosha, WI | 2000[73] | 2.0 miles (3.2 km)[73] | This heritage streetcar system is primarily a tourist system (e.g. does not operate daily, year-round), rather than a transit system; Kenosha's transit systems are too small to be tracked by APTA. |
Metro Streetcar | Little Rock, AR | 2004[74] | 3.4 miles (5.5 km)[74] | This heritage streetcar system is primarily a tourist system, rather than a transit system; APTA does not provide ridership figures for this system. |
River Street Streetcar | Savannah, GA | 2009 | 1.0 mile (1.6 km) | This heritage streetcar system is primarily a tourist system, rather than a transit system; APTA does not track this system. |
See also
Notes
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 This system also has a heavy rail rapid transit/metro portion (see List of metro systems), and connections to a commuter rail system; the ridership figures and statistics presented here represent the light rail portion of the system only.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 This line or system is operated using heritage streetcars.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 This system also has available connections to a commuter rail system; the ridership figures and statistics presented here represent the light rail portion of the system only.
- 1 2 This is the Average Daily Ridership figure, not an "Average Weekday Ridership" figure – it is averaged from the Q4 2014 Total Ridership figure for this system.
- ↑ As current incarnation of light rail.
- ↑ May or may not qualify as "light rail" (or as a true "mass transit" system), but is included in this table for comparison purposes (and due to its ridership statistics being tracked by APTA).
- ↑ This system is owned by the City of Portland, which is not a member of APTA, and its ridership figures are not included in the APTA statistics for Portland.
- ↑ This annual ridership figure is for Fiscal Year 2015.
- ↑ April 2016
- ↑ This system also has a heavy rail rapid transit/metro portion (see List of metro systems); the ridership figures and statistics presented here represent the light rail portion of the system only.
- 1 2 3 The MATA Trolley system completely suspended operations for a significant portion of 2014 (including all of Q4 2014) due to maintenance issues.
References
- 1 2 3 "Transit Ridership Report Fourth Quarter 2015" (pdf). American Public Transportation Association. March 2, 2016. Retrieved 2016-03-19 – via http://www.apta.com/resources/statistics/Pages/ridershipreport.aspx.
- 1 2 3 "About the T - Financials - Appendix: Statistical Profile" (pdf). Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. 2007. pp. 103–104. Retrieved 2013-07-13.
- ↑ "MTBA - About the MTBA - History - The Rapid Transit Commission and the BERY". Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. 2013. Retrieved 2013-08-07.
- 1 2 3 4 5 "L.A. Metro - Facts at a Glance". Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro). June 13, 2013. Retrieved 2016-03-12.
- ↑ "TEP Route Data & Proposed Changes". San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA). Retrieved 2013-12-15.
- 1 2 "F Market & Wharves | SFMTA". San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency. 2013. Retrieved 2013-08-25.
- 1 2 3 "Rider Information – Market Street Railway". Market Street Railway. Retrieved 2013-08-18.
- 1 2 3 4 "Muni Metro Light Rail | SFMTA". San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency. 2013. Retrieved 2013-06-30.
- ↑ McKane, John; Perles, Anthony (1982). Inside Muni: The Properties and Operations of the Municipal Railway of San Francisco. Glendale, CA: Interurban Press. p. 174. ISBN 978-0-916374-49-5.
- 1 2 "Vintage Trolley". San Diego Metropolitan Transit System. Retrieved 2015-12-30.
- 1 2 3 4 5 "San Diego Trolley Fact Sheet" (pdf). San Diego Metropolitan Transit System. February 2013. Retrieved 2015-12-30 – via http://www.sdmts.com/about-mts.
- 1 2 "Facts about Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART)". Dallas Area Rapid Transit. February 26, 2013. Retrieved 2013-07-23.
- 1 2 "DART.org - DART History". Dallas Area Rapid Transit. 2015. Retrieved 2015-01-12.
- ↑ "DART.org - DART Schedules". Dallas Area Rapid Transit. 2013. Retrieved 2013-08-25.
- ↑ "SEPTA - Trolley Lines". Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority. Retrieved 2013-06-28.
- 1 2 3 "SEPTA - Spring 2012 Route Statistics" (pdf). Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority. 2012. Retrieved 2013-06-28.
- 1 2 "SEPTA - Media Guide" (pdf). Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority. 2013. Retrieved 2013-07-17.
- 1 2 3 "RTD - Facts & Figures". Regional Transportation District. May 24, 2013. Retrieved 2013-07-23.
- ↑ "RTD - Facts & Figures - Central Corridor Light Rail Line". Regional Transportation District. January 2013. Retrieved 2013-07-23.
- ↑ "FasTracks: West Rail Line". Regional Transportation District. January 2013. Retrieved 2013-10-16.
- 1 2 3 4 "METRO Blue Line - Facts About Trains and Construction". Metro Transit. 2013. Retrieved 2014-06-15.
- 1 2 3 4 "Metro Green Line Fact Sheet". Metropolitan Council. June 14, 2014. Retrieved 2014-06-15.
- ↑ "Front Lines 2015 Map" (pdf). Utah Transit Authority. Retrieved 2013-07-02.
- ↑ "UTA History - Fact Sheet History 2012" (pdf). Utah Transit Authority. April 2013. Retrieved 2013-08-11.
- 1 2 "TRAX and FrontRunner Map" (pdf). Utah Transit Authority. Retrieved 2013-08-25.
- ↑ "NJ TRANSIT Customer Satisfaction Survey - NEWARK LIGHT RAIL. Third Quarter, 2013.". New Jersey Transit. Retrieved 2013-08-21.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 "NJ Transit Facts At A Glance - Fiscal Year 2015 - July 1, 2013 through June 30, 2014" (pdf). New Jersey Transit. March 2015. Retrieved 2015-04-02.
- 1 2 "Hudson-Bergen - Light Rail" (pdf). NJ Transit. March 2013. Retrieved 2013-07-14.
- ↑ "Ridership Reports". Valley Metro. 2013. Retrieved 2013-12-30.
- 1 2 "Northwest Light Rail Extension Opens". Valley Metro. Mar 19, 2016. Retrieved Mar 29, 2016.
- 1 2 "Light Rail System 2011 Facts and Figures" (pdf). Valley Metro. August 14, 2012. Retrieved 2013-07-15.
- ↑ "Valley Metro Expands Safe Place". Valley Metro. Mar 21, 2016. Retrieved Mar 29, 2016.
- 1 2 3 4 "METRORail". Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, Texas. 2015-10-07. Retrieved 2015-08-11.
- 1 2 "Houston Facts 2014" (pdf). METRO. 2014. Retrieved 2015-08-11.
- 1 2 "Procurement Information". Bi-State Development Agency (Metro). 2010. Retrieved 2013-08-11.
- ↑ "History - The 1990s - MetroLink". Bi-State Development Agency (Metro). 2010. Retrieved 2013-08-11.
- ↑ "Procurement Information" (pdf). Bi-State Development Agency (Metro). Retrieved 2013-08-25.
- ↑ "History - 2000 to Today - MetroLink". Bi-State Development Agency (Metro). 2010. Retrieved 2013-08-25.
- 1 2 3 4 5 "Sacramento Regional Transit District: Fact Sheet" (PDF). Sacramento Regional Transit District. May 2016. Retrieved 2016-06-22.
- ↑ Fourth Quarter 2014 Service Delivery Quarterly Performance Report (PDF) (Report). Sound Transit. February 26, 2015. Retrieved 2015-04-22.
- 1 2 3 4 "Schedules – SoundTransit". Sound Transit. 2016. Retrieved 2016-03-29.
- ↑ Beekman, Daniel (March 19, 2016). "Capitol Hill, UW light-rail stations open to big crowds". The Seattle Times. Retrieved March 29, 2016.
- 1 2 3 4 5 "VTA Facts: Light Rail System Overview" (pdf). Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA). November 14, 2012. Retrieved 2013-06-30.
- 1 2 3 4 "Port Authority of Allegheny County - Company Info & Projects - Agency Profile". Port Authority of Allegheny County (PAT). 2013. Retrieved 2013-07-15.
- 1 2 3 "New Orleans Streetcars - New Orleans Online". The Official Tourism Site of the City of New Orleans: NewOrleansOnline.com. 2013. Retrieved 2013-07-16.
- ↑ "APTA Streetcar and Heritage Trolley Site - New Orleans Overview". American Public Transportation Association. Retrieved 2013-07-16.
- ↑ "Cable Cars | SFMTA". San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency. 2013. Retrieved 2013-06-30.
- ↑ "Routes & Stops | SFMTA - Cable Cars". San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency. 2013. Retrieved 2013-08-25.
- 1 2 3 "Visitors Ride Guide" (pdf). Maryland Transit Administration. Retrieved 2013-07-14 – via http://mta.maryland.gov/content/visitors.
- 1 2 "Metro Rail 7 Day Timetable" (pdf). NTFA-Metro. July 2, 2013. Retrieved 2013-08-07.
- 1 2 3 "LYNX Home". Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS). Retrieved 2013-08-07.
- ↑ "LYNX Blue Line Recognizes Ridership Success During Week of Five-Year Anniversary". Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS). November 28, 2012. Retrieved 2013-08-07.
- ↑ http://charmeck.org/city/charlotte/cats/planning/ble/Pages/default.aspx
- 1 2 "Annual & Daily Ridership Graphs and Counts as of April 2016" (pdf). Portland Streetcar. October 2014. Retrieved 2014-10-20.
- 1 2 3 4 "Streetcar History | Portland Streetcar". Portland Streetcar, Inc. 2012. Retrieved 2013-11-28.
- ↑ http://www.portlandstreetcar.org/node/193
- ↑ "NJ TRANSIT Customer Satisfaction Survey - RiverLINE. Third Quarter, 2013.". New Jersey Transit. Retrieved 2013-08-21.
- 1 2 "River Line - Light Rail" (pdf). NJ Transit. March 2013. Retrieved 2013-07-14.
- ↑ "SPRINTER Fact Sheet" (PDF). North County Transit District. January 2013. Retrieved 2013-07-28.
- 1 2 3 4 "NCTD SPRINTER". North County Transit District (San Diego). 2013. Retrieved 2013-06-30.
- 1 2 3 "2012 Annual Report - Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority". Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority. December 31, 2012. Retrieved 2013-07-21.
- 1 2 "About RTA: History of Public Transit in Greater Cleveland". Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority. 2012. Retrieved 2013-07-21.
- 1 2 3 "The Tide - Hampton Roads Transit". Hampton Roads Transit. 2013. Retrieved 2013-07-15.
- ↑ "Light Rail Service to Begin August 19, 2011". Hampton Roads Transit. Retrieved 2013-08-10.
- 1 2 "MATA - Memphis Area Transit Authority - Trolley History". Memphis Area Transit Authority (MATA). 2013. Retrieved 2013-08-18.
- 1 2 "MATA - Memphis Area Transit Authority - Trolley Map". Memphis Area Transit Authority (MATA). 2013. Retrieved 2013-08-18.
- ↑ "TECO Line Streetcar System – Streetcar System". TECOline Streetcar System. 2012. Retrieved 2013-07-02.
- 1 2 "Downtown Network Map" (PDF). Hillsborough Area Transit Authority (HART). February 2013. Retrieved 2013-07-02.
- ↑ http://archive.sltrib.com/story.php?ref=/sltrib/politics/57303501-90/development-grant-hutcheson-lake.html.csp
- ↑ McNamara, Patrick (March 15, 2015). "Tucson's streetcar exceeds ridership expectations". Arizona Daily Star.
- 1 2 3 "Why do we need a streetcar? – The streetcar route". Sun Link Tucson Streetcar. Retrieved 2015-04-02.
- 1 2 "Island Transit Information". Island Transit. Retrieved 2013-08-21.
- 1 2 "Streetcar Route Map" (pdf). Kenosha Streetcars Today. Retrieved 2013-07-14 – via http://www.kenoshastreetcarsociety.org/today.
- 1 2 "River Rail - Central Arkansas Transit Authority". Central Arkansas Transit Authority (CATA). Retrieved 2013-08-18.