Mode detail

Commuter Bus

Commuter bus: peak-oriented express service, often from a park-and-ride into a downtown.

Boardings

Nationwide, annual

Operating cost

As reported and in 2024 dollars

Largest Commuter Bus operators, FY2024

# Agency Service Boardings Operating cost Cost / ride Subsidy / ride Fare recovery
1 Directly operated 9,053,935 $315,383,907 $34.83 $29.22 16.1%
2
Sound Transit
Seattle, WA
Directly operated 7,421,304 $135,642,020 $18.28 $16.53 9.6%
3
Houston METRO
Houston, TX
Directly operated 2,892,116 $59,885,978 $20.71 $18.27 11.8%
4
Short Line
Mahwah, NJ
Directly operated 1,929,039 $32,010,500 $16.59 $3.33 79.9%
5 Directly operated 1,654,599 $22,494,709 $13.60 $12.41 8.7%
6
Sound Transit
Seattle, WA
Purchased transportation 1,316,619 $19,737,367 $14.99 $13.17 12.2%
7
Baltimore MTA
Baltimore, MD
Purchased transportation 1,295,225 $66,358,214 $51.23 $45.72 10.8%
8
Hoboken Academy
Hoboken, NJ
Directly operated 1,119,788 $20,996,138 $18.75 $3.78 79.9%
9 Purchased transportation 992,531 $21,988,316 $22.15 $21.08 4.8%
10
Woodbridge OmniRide
Woodbridge, VA
Purchased transportation 916,222 $22,888,641 $24.98 $18.76 24.9%
11
Coach USA
New Brunswick, NJ
Directly operated 833,216 $9,703,689 $11.65 $-1.66 114.2%
12 Directly operated 774,656 $12,689,362 $16.38 $3.85 76.5%
13
Houston METRO
Houston, TX
Purchased transportation 740,695 $8,862,219 $11.96 $9.40 21.5%
14
C&J Bus Lines
Portsmouth, NH
Directly operated 634,012 $16,911,641 $26.67 $1.92 92.8%
15
Utah Transit Authority
Salt Lake City, UT
Directly operated 576,587 $10,668,148 $18.50 $17.66 4.6%
16
Hele-On
Hilo, HI
Purchased transportation 548,206 $13,905,973 $25.37
17 Directly operated 543,685 $19,491,178 $35.85 $-5.73 116%
18 Purchased transportation 538,253 $23,742,877 $44.11 $40.26 8.7%
19
AC Transit
Oakland, CA
Directly operated 536,641 $9,223,055 $17.19 $12.79 25.6%
20
Vallejo SolTrans
Vallejo, CA
Purchased transportation 491,870 $9,789,015 $19.90 $16.95 14.8%
21 Purchased transportation 486,155 $8,915,420 $18.34 $13.40 26.9%
22
OBC Lines
Paramus, NJ
Directly operated 455,157 $5,745,631 $12.62 $0.81 93.6%
23 Directly operated 446,954 $12,035,932 $26.93 $16.65 38.2%
24 Directly operated 409,786 $11,096,307 $27.08 $-8.39 131%
25 Purchased transportation 401,124 $2,199,276 $5.48 $5.13 6.4%