Mode detail

Demand Response

Demand response: trips booked in advance, mostly paratransit. One or two riders per trip by design, which is why its cost per boarding is many times that of a bus.

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Boardings

Nationwide, annual

Operating cost

As reported and in 2024 dollars

Largest Demand Response operators, FY2024

# Agency Service Boardings Operating cost Cost / ride Subsidy / ride Fare recovery
1 Purchased transportation 2,828,231 $271,550,965 $96.01 $94.13 2%
2
Access Services
El Monte, CA
Purchased transportation 2,804,375 $165,460,802 $59.00 $56.67 3.9%
3
Pace Suburban Bus
Arlington Heights, IL
Purchased transportation 2,556,900 $186,048,724 $72.76 $70.04 3.7%
4
Metropolitan Council
Saint Paul, MN
Purchased transportation 2,220,041 $119,959,754 $54.03 $51.16 5.3%
5
Houston METRO
Houston, TX
Purchased transportation 2,054,787 $109,889,767 $53.48 $52.47 1.9%
6
Baltimore MTA
Baltimore, MD
Purchased transportation 1,986,906 $140,142,502 $70.53 $70.50 0.1%
7 Purchased transportation 1,554,913 $64,778,973 $41.66 $38.64 7.3%
8 Purchased transportation 1,511,043 $88,317,407 $58.45 $56.01 4.2%
9
Washington Metro
Washington, DC
Purchased transportation 1,396,962 $188,581,879 $134.99 $132.07 2.2%
10 Purchased transportation 1,390,414 $158,527,719 $114.01 $112.10 1.7%
11
Access Services
El Monte, CA
Purchased transportation - taxi 1,363,089 $82,376,290 $60.43 $57.94 4.1%
12 Purchased transportation 1,220,992 $58,406,927 $47.84 $45.93 4%
13 Purchased transportation 1,105,609 $67,498,078 $61.05 $59.61 2.4%
14
Capital Metro
Austin, TX
Purchased transportation 1,089,647 $80,308,683 $73.70 $73.22 0.7%
15 Purchased transportation 1,048,353 $48,019,426 $45.80 $45.12 1.5%
16 Purchased transportation 1,045,365 $96,222,648 $92.05 $91.19 0.9%
17
Palm Tran, Inc.
West Palm Beach, FL
Purchased transportation 1,024,336 $61,047,745 $59.60 $56.67 4.9%
18
San Antonio VIA
San Antonio, TX
Purchased transportation 987,296 $26,944,014 $27.29 $26.23 3.9%
19 Purchased transportation 960,871 $154,937,895 $161.25 $158.35 1.8%
20 Purchased transportation 945,351 $38,650,630 $40.88 $30.65 25%
21
Baltimore MTA
Baltimore, MD
Purchased transportation - taxi 939,692 $48,147,461 $51.24 $51.24 0%
22 Purchased transportation 907,546 $64,508,681 $71.08 $64.66 9%
23 Directly operated 905,120 $35,643,290 $39.38 $34.89 11.4%
24 Purchased transportation 863,104 $13,833,405 $16.03 $14.88 7.1%
25 Purchased transportation 851,757 $66,433,668 $78.00 $71.76 8%