Where transit recovered

Only 23 areas saw transit ridership in 2023 return to 2019 levels or increase, and most did not charge fares at least part of the year.

Only 23 areas saw full recovery of 2019 transit ridership by 2023 as agencies faced more remote work and driver shortages. Most agencies in the 23 areas had free fares at least part of 2023 though some are trying to bring back fare revenue from those who can afford it. .
Note: For the map, transit services are grouped by metro area for completeness since some areas are served by multiple agencies.
Chart: Tim Henderson/StatelineSource: Stateline analysis/National Transit DatabaseGet the dataEmbedCreated with Datawrapper