Philadelphia's public transit trips still well below pandemic levels
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.


Two Pennsylvania cities have some of the nation's lowest transit ridership recovery rates.
Driving the news: Philadelphia's metro area was at just 45% of pre-pandemic ridership levels in September 2023 compared with the same time in 2019, per data from the American Public Transportation Association (APTA).
- Scranton was at 38%, slightly higher than Raleigh, North Carolina (36%).
Why it matters: Public transit — whether in the form of subway systems, buses, light rail or cable cars — is key to cities' broader health and vibrancy.
- It makes for cleaner, greener cities, opens up possibilities for those who can't afford a car and frees up parking lots to be turned into housing, green space and more.
By the numbers: Philadelphia had more than 28.9 million transit riders in September 2019 compared with 13.2 million four years later, per the data.
Zoom out: Nationally, "ridership recovered throughout 2022 and 2023 to stand at 77% of pre-pandemic levels in November 2023," per APTA's latest big-picture data.
- Of around 100 U.S. metro areas with more than 500,000 people, September 2023 public transit ridership was at or above 100% of September 2019 levels in just nine.
Zoom in: SEPTA expects 2023 projected ridership to be down 39% from from 2019, while PATCO anticipates finishing the year at just 52% of pre-pandemic levels, per Philadelphia Business Journal reporting from October.
- SEPTA passengers have returned to buses at the highest rate, which had 75% of their 2019 ridership as of October.
Between the lines: Some of the country's biggest public transit systems have been showing signs of life recently — likely in part a reflection of employers dragging workers back into the office.
What's happening: Cities have been experimenting with a variety of tactics to boost transit ridership after rates plummeted during the pandemic.
- Some reduced fares, or made rides entirely free (though funding such efforts can prove difficult). Some are investing in new routes and other infrastructure.
- Others are also rethinking routes based on people's new post-pandemic travel patterns, with remote and hybrid work affecting how, where and when we move about.


