The COVID-19 pandemic drastically affected global public transit systems. In April 2020, ridership plummeted to just 20% of pre-pandemic levels. Fast forward to 2023, and public transit is rebounding strongly, with ridership in some areas reaching about 79% of previous levels.¹ This recovery brings both opportunities and challenges for transit agencies.
Smaller cities have seen a faster recovery, as office workers return more quickly compared to larger urban centers where remote work remains common. Bus ridership, in particular, has surged, largely due to its appeal to younger, lower income workers who couldn’t transition to remote work and continued relying on public transit. Rail ridership has also improved but remains influenced by factors like vaccine distribution and shifting commuter patterns.
Shifting Transit Trends
Despite office occupancy rates remaining around 50% throughout 2023, public transit has seen significant growth in non-commute trips. From 2022 to 2023, there was a 16% increase in transit trips, totaling 7.1 billion in 2023.¹ This highlights the growing need for reliable transit services that address the demands of passengers like essential workers and late-night employees, who often rely on buses.
The success of ridership recovery relies on several key factors, including the delivery and reliability of transit services and external influences like local economic conditions. Regions with strong service industries and essential worker populations have fared better in maintaining ridership. Public transportation continues to provide critical mobility for essential workers, a factor that has sustained transit ridership over the past four years.
Preparing for Increasing Ridership
As we approach the end of summer, new college students present a promising opportunity to increase ridership. This seasonal influx provides transit agencies with a prime opportunity to promote public transportation as a viable and convenient option for students and their families.
With ridership trends on the rise, agencies must be ready to handle the growing demand. To support this increase, they need to prioritize reliability and service quality, ensuring frequent, dependable, and safe transit options to sustain and boost ridership.
Coping with Ridership Changes with Vontas
To help transit agencies navigate the imminent challenges and capitalize on these opportunities, Vontas provides advanced solutions to boost the efficiency and reliability of transit services.
With Vontas OnRoute, transit agencies can provide a cohesive experience that builds rider trust and encourages continued use of public transportation. It leverages automatic vehicle locator data, ensuring fewer disruptions and a safer, more reliable transit service. This includes monitoring wheelchair and bike deployments and expanding fare collection options, enhancing the overall rider experience.
Vontas OnRoute also helps manage overcrowding by monitoring passenger loads in real time and adjusting services accordingly. Additionally, it generates real time vehicle arrival predictions displayed on street signs, onboard infotainment signage, and mobile applications. This reduces uncertainty for passengers by providing immediate updates on service disruptions and detours.
Before Metro Transit upgraded to Vontas OnRoute, bus locations were sent every 30-60 seconds. Now, updates occur every 5-10 seconds.² Gary Nyberg, Manager of Technology Systems at Metro Transit in Minneapolis/St. Paul, noted, “It gives the customer more information and more power over how they choose to ride.” Implementing Vontas’ solutions has helped Metro Transit transform operations, reducing service disruptions and increasing rider satisfaction and trust.
Vontas Cloud further supports transit agencies with a scalable platform that lowers IT costs, speeds up innovation, and shortens the time-to-market for new services, enhancing the overall passenger experience.
Looking Forward
As transit agencies brace for rising ridership, the need for reliable, efficient, and innovative solutions is critical. Vontas helps agencies boost and maintain ridership, equipping them to meet the evolving demands of the transit landscape effectively.