2001 URBAN TRANSPORT DATA: 230 US METROPOLITAN AREAS
 Public Transport Operating Costs per Passenger Mile by
Metropolitan Area: 2001: Ranked: Compared to Auto Costs
(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 Compared to Full Cost of Driving
1 San Luis Obispo $1,663 8,131,285 $0.204   -4.7%
2 Brownsville $3,627 13,857,372 $0.262   21.9%
3 Florence $1,042 3,560,250 $0.293   36.3%
4 Honolulu $112,701 351,624,017 $0.321   49.3%
5 Houston $191,062 588,817,409 $0.324   51.2%
6 Pocatello $641 1,944,984 $0.329   53.5%
7 Las Vegas $59,018 172,458,517 $0.342   59.5%
8 Laredo $7,393 21,524,492 $0.343   60.0%
9 Lubbock $5,196 14,819,192 $0.351   63.4%
10 New York $7,213,408 18,923,850,316 $0.381 YES 77.6%
11 El Paso $25,233 66,125,755 $0.382   77.8%
12 Atlanta $333,540 870,293,675 $0.383 YES 78.6%
13 Richland $7,576 19,765,690 $0.383   78.6%
14 Monroe $2,155 5,601,840 $0.385   79.3%
15 Lafayette $4,901 12,657,548 $0.387   80.4%
16 Chicago $1,417,103 3,654,662,503 $0.388 YES 80.7%
17 Fayetteville $837 2,132,233 $0.392   82.9%
18 Corpus Christi $11,949 30,105,054 $0.397   84.9%
19 Yuba City $1,404 3,484,513 $0.403   87.8%
20 Boston $763,944 1,866,154,235 $0.409 YES 90.7%
21 Lafayette $2,036 4,732,035 $0.430   100.5%
22 San Antonio $76,221 175,049,481 $0.435   102.9%
23 San Diego $146,316 335,689,804 $0.436 YES 103.1%
24 Cincinnati $76,793 174,494,159 $0.440   105.1%
25 Los Angeles $1,254,105 2,821,265,741 $0.445 YES 107.1%
26 Orlando $50,406 113,317,718 $0.445   107.3%
27 Modesto $5,848 13,126,148 $0.446   107.6%
28 Bakersfield $13,768 30,662,286 $0.449   109.2%
29 Washington-Baltimore $1,200,237 2,659,553,749 $0.451 YES 110.3%
30 Santa Barbara $14,586 32,056,097 $0.455   112.0%
31 Bangor $875 1,912,871 $0.457   113.1%
32 Champaign-Urbana $12,532 27,391,802 $0.458   113.2%
33 Visalia $2,463 5,337,381 $0.462   115.1%
34 Abilene $895 1,934,657 $0.463   115.5%
35 Binghampton $5,754 12,368,419 $0.465   116.8%
36 Shreveport $6,936 14,785,639 $0.469   118.6%
37 Tucson $31,099 65,471,139 $0.475   121.3%
38 Chico $1,454 3,040,586 $0.478   122.9%
39 Lychburg $2,866 5,992,705 $0.478   122.9%
40 San Francisco $1,435,921 2,947,519,887 $0.487 YES 127.0%
41 Bloomington, IN $2,949 5,985,288 $0.493   129.6%
42 Daytona Beach $8,150 16,442,216 $0.496   131.0%
43 Miami $303,106 605,691,170 $0.500 YES 133.2%
44 Philadelphia $751,794 1,463,131,875 $0.514 YES 139.4%
45 Fresno $23,802 46,208,116 $0.515   140.0%
46 Clarksville $1,660 3,191,738 $0.520   142.4%
47 Monterrey $13,235 25,336,652 $0.522   143.4%
48 Albany, GA $1,401 2,680,001 $0.523   143.5%
49 Memphis $33,849 64,540,014 $0.524   144.4%
50 Sioux City $2,216 4,219,740 $0.525   144.7%
51 Lexington $6,089 11,564,848 $0.526   145.3%
52 Beaumont $3,552 6,716,911 $0.529   146.4%
53 Virginia Beach-Norfolk $43,855 82,659,800 $0.531   147.2%
54 Stockton $16,229 30,448,611 $0.533   148.4%
55 Charlotte $36,579 67,149,479 $0.545   153.8%
56 Baton Rouge $11,371 20,795,269 $0.547   154.8%
57 Charleston, SC $8,896 16,204,520 $0.549   155.8%
58 Glens Falls $770 1,393,197 $0.553   157.7%
59 Portland $225,084 405,414,272 $0.555 YES 158.7%
60 Logan $1,154 2,072,815 $0.557   159.3%
61 Las Cruces $1,271 2,278,726 $0.558   159.8%
62 Wilmington $1,984 3,554,042 $0.558   160.1%
63 Roanoke $4,199 7,518,956 $0.558   160.2%
64 Little Rock $8,547 15,206,670 $0.562   161.9%
65 Hartford $37,823 66,921,567 $0.565   163.4%
66 Greenville $2,974 5,252,301 $0.566   163.9%
67 Alexandria, LA $1,666 2,910,463 $0.573   166.8%
68 State College $5,911 10,315,218 $0.573   167.0%
69 Gainesville 8,458.9 14,759,000 $0.573   167.1%
70 Colorado Springs $7,397 12,879,235 $0.574   167.6%
71 Denver $222,619 386,470,151 $0.576 YES 168.4%
72 Sarasota $7,623 13,182,288 $0.578   169.5%
73 Redding $2,190 3,776,061 $0.580   170.3%
74 Richmond $25,685 44,079,846 $0.583   171.5%
75 Mobile $3,881 6,646,354 $0.584   172.1%
76 Milwaukee $128,162 217,121,495 $0.590   175.0%
77 Wichita $6,397 10,834,088 $0.590   175.1%
78 Waco $1,995 3,368,608 $0.592   176.0%
79 Rochester $2,607 4,394,070 $0.593   176.4%
80 Topeka $2,909 4,883,820 $0.596   177.5%
81 Indianapolis $29,755 49,880,086 $0.597   178.0%
82 St. Louis $144,706 240,371,304 $0.602 YES 180.5%
83 Lancaster $5,501 9,043,045 $0.608   183.5%
84 New Orleans $102,819 168,922,808 $0.609 YES 183.6%
85 Dallas-Fort Worth $270,101 441,767,781 $0.611 YES 184.9%
86 Sacramento $91,805 149,246,025 $0.615 YES 186.6%
87 Reno $16,497 26,765,627 $0.616   187.2%
88 Nashville $21,201 34,219,649 $0.620   188.7%
89 Jacksonville $32,414 52,200,049 $0.621   189.3%
90 Minneapolis-St. Paul $212,105 341,547,227 $0.621   189.4%
91 Pittsburgh $235,323 376,486,029 $0.625 YES 191.2%
92 Rockford $5,591 8,916,249 $0.627   192.2%
93 Fort Myers $8,011 12,774,171 $0.627   192.2%
94 Allentown $9,882 15,605,646 $0.633   195.0%
95 Seattle $464,252 731,429,930 $0.635   195.8%
96 Grand Forks $1,154 1,815,616 $0.636   196.2%
97 Rapid City $423 658,750 $0.642   199.3%
98 Scranton $8,255 12,749,469 $0.647   201.7%
99 Austin $69,270 106,167,220 $0.652   204.0%
100 Augusta $2,650 4,051,516 $0.654   204.8%
101 Oklahoma City $11,957 18,043,158 $0.663   208.8%
102 Asheville $2,403 3,622,260 $0.663   209.1%
103 Peoria $7,743 11,409,623 $0.679   216.2%
104 Syracuse $24,006 35,036,789 $0.685   219.3%
105 Jackson $1,622 2,364,775 $0.686   219.6%
106 Athens, FA $2,111 3,052,768 $0.691   222.1%
107 Eugene $21,407 30,954,161 $0.692   222.2%
108 Iowa City $4,372 6,295,904 $0.694   223.5%
109 Tulsa $11,462 16,468,394 $0.696   224.3%
110 Missoula $1,949 2,786,532 $0.699   225.9%
111 San Angelo $849 1,204,280 $0.705   228.4%
112 Lincoln $5,502 7,778,376 $0.707   229.6%
113 Raleigh-Durham $26,667 37,593,924 $0.709   230.5%
114 Longview $1,090 1,528,165 $0.713   232.3%
115 Salt Lake City $95,035 129,807,216 $0.732 YES 241.1%
116 Jackson $1,408 1,920,738 $0.733   241.5%
117 Tampa-St. Petersburg $60,920 83,054,610 $0.733   241.8%
118 St. Cloud $3,268 4,405,747 $0.742   245.6%
119 Myrtle Beach $2,224 2,995,384 $0.743   246.0%
120 Columbus, GA $2,719 3,661,552 $0.743   246.1%
121 Eau Claire $2,702 3,616,962 $0.747   248.1%
122 Louisville $40,460 54,119,130 $0.748   248.4%
123 Houma $772 1,028,952 $0.750   249.5%
124 Tuscaloosa $919 1,212,261 $0.758   253.3%
125 Biloxi $2,679 3,532,154 $0.758   253.4%
126 Utica $4,904 6,452,724 $0.760   254.1%
127 Pensacola $5,223 6,836,366 $0.764   256.0%
128 Williamsport $2,457 3,198,826 $0.768   257.9%
129 Lansing $17,421 22,481,582 $0.775   261.1%
130 Charleston $7,084 9,122,881 $0.776   261.8%
131 Lakeland $4,329 5,559,946 $0.779   262.8%
132 Anchorage $11,719 14,983,880 $0.782   264.4%
133 Des Moines $10,418 13,311,962 $0.783   264.7%
134 Chattanooga $8,387 10,684,650 $0.785   265.7%
135 Pueblo $2,222 2,822,032 $0.787   266.9%
136 Spokane $25,600 32,358,402 $0.791   268.6%
137 Greensboro $13,587 17,150,790 $0.792   269.1%
138 West Palm Beach $27,723 34,922,119 $0.794   269.9%
139 South Bend $7,434 9,359,956 $0.794   270.1%
140 Savannah $9,464 11,798,643 $0.802   273.7%
141 Ocala $833 1,036,670 $0.804   274.5%
142 Fort Collins $4,349 5,360,560 $0.811   278.0%
143 Albuquerque $21,193 26,107,650 $0.812   278.2%
144 Cleveland $244,387 297,810,344 $0.821 YES 282.4%
145 Burlington, VT $3,945 4,796,372 $0.822   283.2%
146 Columbia $4,813 5,847,866 $0.823   283.5%
147 Huntsville $1,198 1,452,668 $0.825   284.2%
148 Toledo $18,700 22,431,291 $0.834   288.4%
149 Albany $35,530 42,575,172 $0.835   288.9%
150 Huntington $3,244 3,882,920 $0.835   289.3%
151 Waterloo $1,593 1,902,374 $0.837   290.2%
152 Johnstown $4,344 5,157,678 $0.842   292.4%
153 Tallahassee $8,301 9,836,243 $0.844   293.2%
154 Madison $28,637 33,888,651 $0.845   293.8%
155 Wausau $2,220 2,610,657 $0.850   296.2%
156 Dayton $45,101 52,675,090 $0.856   299.0%
157 Kansas City $52,090 59,295,499 $0.878   309.3%
158 Appleton $6,139 6,961,654 $0.882   310.9%
159 Erie $6,890 7,781,940 $0.885   312.5%
160 Boise $4,394 4,954,340 $0.887   313.2%
161 Phoenix $132,361 149,112,502 $0.888   313.6%
162 Bellingham $7,492 8,374,090 $0.895   316.9%
163 Detroit $273,729 305,392,621 $0.896   317.6%
164 Portland $3,997 4,408,450 $0.907   322.4%
165 Columbus $67,437 74,238,509 $0.908   323.3%
166 Green Bay $4,624 5,069,757 $0.912   325.0%
167 Buffalo $69,958 76,581,527 $0.914 YES 325.7%
168 Fayetteville $2,819 3,071,002 $0.918   327.7%
169 Reading $5,449 5,927,593 $0.919   328.3%
170 Duluth $8,610 9,340,403 $0.922   329.5%
171 Rochester $35,364 37,826,983 $0.935   335.6%
172 Davenport-Moline $11,765 12,580,877 $0.935   335.8%
173 Charlottesville $3,248 3,456,109 $0.940   337.9%
174 Sioux Falls $2,393 2,542,007 $0.942   338.7%
175 Yakima $3,427 3,593,420 $0.954   344.4%
176 Birmingham $12,475 12,975,673 $0.961   348.0%
177 Melbourne $2,007 2,087,376 $0.961   348.0%
178 Kalamazoo $8,745 9,049,114 $0.966   350.3%
179 Omaha $14,325 14,798,026 $0.968   351.1%
180 Grand Rapids $17,847 18,373,790 $0.971   352.6%
181 Bloomington, IL $2,497 2,570,371 $0.971   352.7%
182 Evansville $3,981 3,934,266 $1.012   371.5%
183 La Crosse $2,888 2,840,237 $1.017   373.9%
184 Mansfield $985 954,392 $1.032   380.7%
185 Columbia, MO $1,921 1,861,956 $1.032   380.8%
186 Fargo $2,377 2,257,633 $1.053   390.5%
187 Muncie $3,861 3,644,805 $1.059   393.6%
188 Ithaca $6,177 5,801,899 $1.065   396.1%
189 Springfield $4,841 4,527,041 $1.069   398.3%
190 Cheyenne $444 414,087 $1.073   400.1%
191 Decatur $2,702 2,383,041 $1.134   428.2%
192 Springfield $33,785 29,801,668 $1.134   428.2%
193 Cedar Rapids $4,774 4,207,395 $1.135   428.7%
194 Merced $2,451 2,132,154 $1.149   435.6%
195 Providence $48,497 41,480,597 $1.169   444.8%
196 Youngstown $5,504 4,691,001 $1.173   446.7%
197 Janesville $3,140 2,641,662 $1.189   453.8%
198 Billings $2,378 1,985,333 $1.198   458.1%
199 Fort Wayne $5,476 4,512,758 $1.213   465.4%
200 Altoona $2,838 2,337,484 $1.214   465.8%
201 Harrisburg $11,638 9,401,282 $1.238   476.8%
202 Elmira $3,701 2,917,577 $1.269   491.1%
203 Johnson City, TN, VA $1,417 1,106,110 $1.281   496.8%
204 Springvield $5,350 4,142,370 $1.292   501.8%
205 Knowville $8,589 6,452,162 $1.331   520.3%
206 Grand Junction $1,994 1,494,125 $1.334   521.8%
207 St. Joseph $1,356 1,001,825 $1.354   530.8%
208 McAllen $1,260 930,153 $1.355   531.3%
209 Sheboygan $2,969 2,178,567 $1.363   535.1%
210 Panama City $256 186,968 $1.369   538.0%
211 New London $20,609 14,865,084 $1.386   546.0%
212 Amarillo $1,773 1,217,862 $1.456   578.5%
213 Lewiston $455 301,500 $1.508   602.9%
214 Auburn $141 88,995 $1.579   636.0%
215 College Station $1,279 800,856 $1.597   644.1%
216 Parkersburg $1,154 704,875 $1.638   663.1%
217 Benton Harbor $174 104,865 $1.659   673.1%
218 Saginaw $7,859 4,661,071 $1.686   685.6%
219 Great Falls $1,790 973,300 $1.839   757.0%
220 Killeen $1,026 541,365 $1.895   782.9%
221 Santa Fe $3,857 1,968,872 $1.959   812.8%
222 Wheeling $2,189 1,096,608 $1.996   830.0%
223 Sumter $536 263,980 $2.030   845.9%
224 Medford $3,082 1,496,685 $2.060   859.7%
225 Idaho Falls $239 102,960 $2.317   979.6%
226 Danville $652 257,248 $2.536   1081.6%
227 Canton $10,378 4,019,740 $2.582   1102.9%
228 Vero Beach $589 213,882 $2.752   1182.2%
229 Montgomery $1,984 705,982 $2.810   1209.4%
230 Jackson $3,331 1,180,156 $2.823   1215.2%
231 Terre Haute $1,070 219,857 $4.869   2168.8%
Total Operating Cost $20,141,661 44,794,371,576 $0.450   109.5%
Total Capital & Operating Expenditure $30,268,858 44,794,371,576 $0.676   214.9%
             
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.    
Automobile costs include purchase, insurance, maintenance, fuel (including gasoline tax). Automobile cost per passenger mile in 1999: $0.201 ($0.215 2001$).
20010621          

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