The year 2020 delivered a “gut-punch” to the public transportation industry. After riding high in 2019, seeing ridership gains for the first time in nearly a decade, transit agencies were caught flat-footed by the COVID-19 pandemic and the attendant government mandated shut-downs. Public transportation ridership across the globe plummeted 50% to 90% with the highest declines affecting commuter services.
The revenues also dropped precipitously as many transit services moved to rear door boarding and waived fare collections. Cities’ sale tax revenues that subsize transit declined because of the business shutdowns.
