APTA Fact Book, Where do we Rank?

Based on 2007 data, APTA published the 2009 Fact Book with rankings of Transit agencies based on overall ridership, Buses, Light Rail, Commuter Rail, heavy rail and more. Heres a summary of where TriMet and other West Coast agencies stand with definitions provided in the Fact Book:

Overall:

Based on: Unlinked Passenger Trips is the number of times passengers board public transportation vehicles. Passengers are counted each time they board vehicles no matter how many vehicles they use to travel from their origin to their destination and regardless of whether they pay a fare, use a pass or transfer, ride for free, or pay in some other way. Also called boardings, & Passenger Miles is the cumulative sum of the distances ridden by each passenger.

Rank: TriMet #17, King County Metro #10, Muni #8, San Diego MTS #20, New York MTA #1

Largest Bus:

Bus is a mode of transit service (also called motor bus) characterized by roadway vehicles powered by diesel, gasoline, battery, or alternative fuel engines contained within the vehicle. Vehicles operate on streets and roadways in fixed-route or other regular service. Types of bus service include local service, where vehicles may stop every block or two along a route several miles long. When limited to a small geographic area or to short-distance trips, local service is often called circulator, feeder, neighborhood, trolley, or shuttle service. Other types of bus service are express service, limited- stop service, and bus rapid transit (BRT).

Rank: TriMet #20, King County Metro #10, Los Angeles #2, San Diego #26, SF Muni #9, New York MTA #1

Largest Paratransit:

Paratransit is a mode of transit service (also called demand response or dial-a-ride) characterized by the use of passenger automobiles, vans or small buses operating in response to calls from passengers or their agents to the transit operator, who then dispatches a vehicle to pick up the passengers and transport them to their destinations. The vehicles do not operate over a fixed route or on a fixed schedule. The vehicle may be dispatched to pick up several passengers at different pick-up points before taking them to their respective destinations and may even be interrupted en route to these destinations to pick up other passengers.

Rank: TriMet #20, King County Metro #16, San Diego MTS # 38, New York MTA #1

Largest VanPool:

Vanpool is ridesharing by prearrangement using vans or small buses providing round trip transportation between the participant's prearranged boarding points and a common and regular destination. Data included in this report are the sum of vanpool data reported in the National Transit Database (NTD) and do not

include any data for vanpools not listed in the National Transit Database. Vanpool service reported in the NTD must be operated by a public entity, or a public entity must own, purchase, or lease the vehicle(s). Vanpool included in the NTD must also be in compliance with mass transit rules including Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) provisions, be open to the public and that availability must be made known, and use vehicles with a minimum capacity of 7 persons.

Rank: TriMet N/A!!!, Salem Or #47, San Diego MTS #4, Kennewick Wa # 8, Olympia WA #14, King County Metro #1

Largest Trolleybus:

Trolleybus is a mode of transit service (also called trolley coach) using vehicles propelled by a motor drawing current from overhead wires via connecting poles called a trolley poles from a central power source not on board the vehicle.

Rank: TriMet N/A, Boston #4, Dayton OH, #3, King County Metro #2, SF Muni #1

Commuter Rail:

Commuter Rail is a mode of transit service (also called metropolitan rail, regional rail, or suburban rail) characterized by an electric or diesel propelled railway for urban passenger train service consisting of local short distance travel operating between a central city and adjacent suburbs. Service must be operated on a regular basis by or under contract with a transit operator for the purpose of transporting passengers within urbanized areas, or between urbanized areas and outlying areas. Such rail service, using either locomotive hauled or self-propelled railroad passenger cars, is generally characterized by multi- trip tickets, specific station to station fares, railroad employment practices and usually only one or two stations in the central business district. Intercity rail service is excluded, except for that portion of such service that is operated by or under contract with a public transit agency for predominantly commuter services. Most service is provided on routes of current or former freight railroads.

Rank: TriMet Service not yet running in 2007, Sounder (Seattle) #13, Coaster (San Diego) #14, CalTrain (SF Bay Area) #8, Metrolink (LA) #7, Metra (Chicago) #4, New York LIRR #1

Heavy Rail:

Heavy Rail is a mode of transit service (also called metro, subway, rapid transit, or rapid rail) operating on an electric railway with the capacity for a heavy volume of traffic. It is characterized by high speed and rapid acceleration passenger rail cars operating singly or in multi-car trains on fixed rails; separate rights-of-way from which all other vehicular and foot traffic are excluded; sophisticated signaling, and high platform loading.

Rank: TriMet N/A, Los Angeles #9, SEPTA #6, BART (SF) #5, Wash DC #2, New York MTA #1

Light Rail:

Light Rail is a mode of transit service (also called streetcar, tramway, or trolley) operating passenger rail cars singly (or in short, usually two-car or three- car, trains) on fixed rails in right-of-way that is often separated from other traffic for part or much of the way. Light rail vehicles are typically driven electrically with power being drawn from an overhead electric line via a trolley or a pantograph; driven by an operator on board the vehicle; and may have either high platform loading or low level boarding using steps.

Rank: TriMet #4, San Diego #5, Sacramento #12, Denver #9, Salt Lake #11, Los Angeles #3, SF Muni #2, Boston MBTA #1

Ferries:

Ferry Boat is a transit mode comprising vessels carrying passengers and in some cases vehicles over a body of water, and that are generally steam or diesel-powered. When at least one terminal is within an urbanized area, it is urban ferryboat service. Such service excludes international, rural, rural interstate, island, and urban park ferries.

Rank: TriMet N/A, Wash St Ferries (Seattle) #1, New York DOT #2