Comparison of Operating Costs per Vehicle Revenue Hour

For Bus Transit and Light Rail Transit

Including detailed maps

United States Light Rail Systems

Working copy – March 3, 2010

Bay Ridge Consulting

Summary Table

Cost per Hour

NTD (2008)
System ID Agency Bus LRT
Memphis 4003 Memphis Area Transit $ 92 $ 64
Little Rock 6033 Central AR Trans Authority 70 68
Denver 8006 Denver RTD 103 85
Kenosha 5003 Kenosha Transit 93 101
Salt Lake City 8001 Utah Transit Authority 121 107
San Diego 9026 San Diego MTS 76 127
Tampa 4041 Hillsborough Area RTA 89 129
New Orleans 6032 New Orleans RTA 222 137
Philadelphia 3019 SE Penn Trans Authority 128 147
Minneapolis 5027 Metro Transit 115 175
Portland 0008 Tri-Met 121 185
St Louis 7006 Bi State Development 97 199
Boston 1003 Mass. Bay Trans Authority 130 208
San Francisco 9015 S.F. Municipal Railway 168 219
Sacramento 9019 Sacramento RTD 128 240
Charlotte 4008 Charlotte Area Transit Sys 101 310
Buffalo 2004 Niagara Frontier TA 110 311
Tacoma 0040 Central Puget Sound 160 313
Dallas 6056 Dallas Area Rapid Transit 117 365
New Jersey 2080 New Jersey Transit Corp 135 387
Los Angeles 9154 Los Angeles Co. MTA 120 408
Portland
System Cost per Hour Vehicles
NTD # Agency Type (2008) Operated
0008 Tri-Met BUS $121 532
0008 Tri-Met LRT $185 85
Tacoma Link Light Rail
System Cost per Hour Vehicles
NTD # Agency Type (2008) Operated
0040 Central Puget Sound BUS $160 167
0040 Central Puget Sound LRT $313 2
Memphis (Riverfront, Main Street, and Madison Avenue Trolley Lines)
System Cost per Hour Vehicles
NTD # Agency Type (2008) Operated
4003 Memphis Area Transit BUS $92 135
4003 Memphis Area Transit LRT $64 12
New Jersey/Newark (Broad St Station-Newark Penn Station Light Rail Line)
System Cost per Hour Vehicles
NTD # Agency Type (2008) Operated
2080 New Jersey Transit Corp BUS $135 1,801
2080 New Jersey Transit Corp LRT $387 17
New Orleans (Canal & Riverfront Streetcar)
System Cost per Hour Vehicles
NTD # Agency Type (2008) Operated
6032 New Orleans RTA BUS $222 58
6032 New Orleans RTA LRT $137 22
*St Charles Streetcar line resumed in late 2008

Canal Streetcar Riverfront Streetcar

Philadelphia (Routes 10, 11, 13, 15, 34 & 36)
System Cost per Hour Vehicles
NTD # Agency Type (2008) Operated
3019 SE Penn Trans Authority BUS $128 1,152
3019 SE Penn Trans Authority LRT $147 127
San Francisco Municipal Metro
System Cost per Hour Vehicles
NTD # Agency Type (2008) Operated
9015 S.F. Municipal Railway BUS $168 378
9015 S.F. Municipal Railway LRT $219 139
Boston (Green Line & Mattapan High-Speed Trolley Line)
System Cost per Hour Vehicles
NTD # Agency Type (2008) Operated
1003 Mass. Bay Trans Authority BUS $130 780
1003 Mass. Bay Trans Authority LRT $208 152
Little Rock (River Rail Electric Streetcar)
System Cost per Hour Vehicles
NTD # Agency Type (2008) Operated
6033 Central AR Trans Auth BUS $70 46
6033 Central AR Trans Auth LRT $68 3
Tampa (TECO Streetcar)
System Cost per Hour Vehicles
NTD # Agency Type (2008) Operated
4041 Hillsborough Area RTA BUS $89 157
4041 Hillsborough Area RTA LRT $129 8
Charlotte LYNX Light Rail
System Cost per Hour Vehicles
NTD # Agency Type (2008) Operated
4008 Charlotte Area Trans Sys BUS $101 272
4008 Charlotte Area Trans Sys LRT $310 19
Dallas (Red, Blue, Green, and Orange Lines; McKinney Ave Trolley)
System Cost per Hour Vehicles
NTD # Agency Type (2008) Operated
6056 Dallas Area Rapid Transit BUS $117 564
6056 Dallas Area Rapid Transit LRT $365 85
Kenosha Streetcar
System Cost per Hour Vehicles
NTD # Agency Type (2008) Operated
5003 Kenosha Transit BUS $93 48
5003 Kenosha Transit LRT $101 3
Los Angeles Light Rail and Streetcar
System Cost per Hour Vehicles
NTD # Agency Type (2008) Operated
9154 Los Angeles Co. MTA BUS $120 2,085
9154 Los Angeles Co. MTA LRT $408 102
Denver Trolley
System Cost per Hour Vehicles
NTD # Agency Type (2008) Operated
8006 Denver RTD BUS $103 527
8006 Denver RTD LRT $85 101
Buffalo Light Rail
System Cost per Hour Vehicles
NTD # Agency Type (2008) Operated
2004 Niagara Frontier TA BUS $110 292
2004 Niagara Frontier TA LRT $311 23
St Louis Metrolink Light Rail
System Cost per Hour Vehicles
NTD # Agency Type (2008) Operated
7006 Bi State Development BUS $97 334
7006 Bi State Development LRT $199 55
Salt Lake City – Trax Light Rail
System Cost per Hour Vehicles
NTD # Agency Type (2008) Operated
8001 Utah Transit Authority BUS $121 371
8001 Utah Transit Authority LRT $107 46
Sacramento Light Rail
System Cost per Hour Vehicles
NTD # Agency Type (2008) Operated
9019 Sacramento RTD BUS $128 195
9019 Sacramento RTD LRT $240 56
San Deigo Trolley
System Cost per Hour Vehicles
NTD # Agency Type (2008) Operated
9026 San Diego MTS BUS $76 199 + PT
9026 San Diego MTS LRT $127 93
Minneapolis Metro
System Cost per Hour Vehicles
NTD # Agency Type (2008) Operated
5027 Metro Transit BUS $115 747
5027 Metro Transit LRT $175 27