March 11, 2014
U.S. Transit Ridership Highest in 57 Years; CDTA Surpasses 16 Million in 2013
ALBANY, N.Y. (March 10, 2014) – The Capital District Transportation Authority (CDTA) carried 16.3 million customers last year matching a national trend that saw Americans take nearly 11 billion trips on public transportation in 2013, the highest annual public transit ridership number in 57 years.
“It’s an exciting time at CDTA,” said CDTA Chairman David M. Stackrow. “The national statistics support what we have been seeing for a while now, people are demanding more public transit and communities are benefiting with strong economic growth.”
A report released by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) during its annual legislative conference shows 10.7 billion trips were taken on public transportation last year, the eighth consecutive year that saw more than 10 billion trips taken on public transportation systems nationwide.
Here in the Capital Region, CDTA has positioned itself with near record-ridership that has come about due to increased recognition of its innovative transit system and new customer programs. Customer increases have been across the board with ridership gains and system improvements driven by efforts to showcase the transit system as a better way to travel throughout the Capital Region.
Stackrow added, “This year is off to a great start and we are looking forward to bringing even more innovation to our customers and the region. Enhanced services combined with the growth of our Bus Rapid Transit route network and the introduction of an enhanced fare collection system that uses smartcards and mobile payments have us excited for what’s ahead.”
To see the complete APTA 2013 ridership report, go to:
http://www.apta.com/resources/statistics/Documents/2013-q4-ridership-APTA.pdf
ABOUT CDTA: The Capital District Transportation Authority (CDTA) was created in 1970 by the New York State Legislature as a public benefit corporation to provide regional transportation services by rail, bus, water and air. CDTA is the premier mobility provider in the Capital Region, providing local, express, commuter and bus rapid transit services. CDTA owns and operates the Rensselaer Rail and Saratoga Springs Train Stations. Today, over 650 people work to deliver a transit system that transports more than 55,000 customers each weekday.
