We’re a little late to the party, but we’d like to congratulate Mountain Line for being in the top 50 most efficient transportation systems in the U.S.
The Community Transportation Association of America recently ran the ridership per capita numbers — a way to measure efficiency — on every public transit system in America. Out of over 500 systems, big and small, Mountain Line ranked 46th in the country at 20.52 trips per person. Comparing it only to comparably sized systems, Mountain Line jumps all the way to 20th. That is an amazing accomplishment and one for which our whole community should be proud.
Why is ridership a measure of efficiency? As long as the bus is running, there are going to be certain set costs: salary for the driver, fuel for the bus, etc. The more riders a bus takes per trip, the less it ultimately spends per rider. (Some riders pay to use the bus; others ride for free as part of subsidized programs.) As Ben Conley reported, Mountain Line buses provided 1,592,984 unlinked trips in an urban area of 77,620, which gives us the average of 20.5 trips per rider.
Mountain Line General Manager Maria Smith says the ridership per capita equation is a way to determine the cost per hour to operate a transportation system. We’ll simplify it and say it’s a way to make sure we’re getting the most bang for our buck.
As we’ve noted in the past, strong public transportation systems help cities and their residents to thrive. On the environmental front, reliable public transportation cuts down on the need for personal vehicles; fewer personal vehicles means fewer related emissions. On top of that, people can save money (e.g., on car payments, insurance and gas) when they forgo a personal car and use public transportation instead.
Effective, reliable public transportation also makes communities more connected; it allows people to move quickly and safely from one side of town to the other, opening them to opportunities and activities outside their own neighborhoods and encouraging them to visit the small businesses outside of major retail hubs.
We, as taxpayers, repeatedly support Mountain Line with levy dollars, and its national ranking shows we are getting a good return on our investment. Keep up the good work, Mountain Line!
