Transit agencies delivered 7.7 billion passenger trips in the United States last year, 491 million more – almost 7 percent – than 2023 and reaching 85 percent of pre-pandemic levels.

The data come from the 75^th edition of the Public Transportation Fact Book and its latest Ridership Policy Brief, published by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA).

Ridership had fallen to 20 percent in April 2020 at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. National public transit ridership has increased 25 percent since 2022.

Demand response services, such as microtransit and vanpools, have recovered to 93 percent – the highest of any mode. The rebound is more pronounced in cities with populations of less than 100,000, which are at 88 percent of pre-pandemic levels.

Bus ridership has shown a strong resurgence since riders tend to be younger and work in service industry jobs that require in-person attendance, according to the report. Ridership is back to 86 percent of 2019 levels, leading all fixed-route modes, while rail has recovered to 72 percent, with continued growth expected.

Among other highlights of the report: Transit agencies provided 4.27 billion vehicle revenue miles of service in 2022, an increase from 2021, and the number of rail systems grew by 62 percent to 99.