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Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority
MBTA · Boston, MA · Full Reporter
- Passenger trips (2025)
- 269 million
- Vehicle revenue miles
- 88.3 million
- Fare per trip
- $1.64
- 17.8% of operating costs
- Operating cost per trip
- $9.19
Monthly ridership
Passenger trips, all modes, in millions
Show as a table
| Period | Passenger trips |
|---|---|
| Aug 2026 | 24.44 million |
| Dec 2025 | 21.15 million |
| Dec 2024 | 20.01 million |
| Dec 2023 | 18.46 million |
| Dec 2022 | 17.87 million |
| Dec 2021 | 16.00 million |
August 2026: 24.4 million trips (+12.2% vs. a year earlier). Monthly figures include FTA adjustments and estimates.
Service by mode in 2025
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| Mode | Trips | Revenue miles | Fares | Operating cost | Cost per trip |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heavy Rail (Subway) | 93.9 million | 22.1 million | $143 million | $461 million | $4.91 |
| Bus | 86.8 million | 21.1 million | $76.8 million | $809 million | $9.32 |
| Light Rail | 45.6 million | 6.85 million | $55 million | $290 million | $6.36 |
| Commuter Rail | 30.2 million | 26.7 million | $145 million | $628 million | $20.79 |
| Bus Rapid Transit | 9.95 million | 1.43 million | $7.03 million | $70.5 million | $7.08 |
| Ferryboat | 1.48 million | 308,611 | $10.1 million | $26.3 million | $17.71 |
| Demand Response | 1.12 million | 9.88 million | $2.5 million | $189 million | $168.93 |
Includes service the agency runs directly and service bought from contractors. Demand response is mostly paratransit and dial-a-ride.
Year by year
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| Year | Trips | Revenue miles | Fare revenue | Fare recovery |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 269 million | 88.3 million | $440 million | 17.8% |
| 2024 | 252 million | 79.5 million | $416 million | 19.2% |
| 2023 | 132 million | 32.1 million | $376 million | 19.9% |
| 2022 | 120 million | 77.4 million | $322 million | 18.8% |
Routes and stops
The agency's own GTFS schedule file lists 404 routes and 7,759 stops (read 10/22/2026). Counts come from the feed the agency certifies to the FTA and can include seasonal routes.
About this agency
- NTD ID
- 10003
- Organization type
- Independent Public Agency or Authority of Transit Service
- Reporter type
- Full Reporter
- Headquarters
- Boston, MA
- Urbanized area
- Boston, MA--NH
- Service area population
- 2,682,227
- Service area
- 664 sq mi
- Vehicles in peak service
- 2,199
- Website
- www.mbta.com
Frequently asked questions
- How many people ride Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority?
- Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority reported 269 million unlinked passenger trips in 2025. Each boarding counts as one trip.
- How much of Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority's costs do fares cover?
- In 2025, fares brought in $440 million against $2.47 billion in operating expenses, a fare recovery ratio of 17.8%.
- How many routes does Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority have?
- The agency's GTFS schedule file lists 404 routes and 7,759 stops.
Source: Federal Transit Administration, National Transit Database · 2025 annual data, monthly data through August 2026