Philadelphia's public transit trips still well below pandemic levels
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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.