The term ‘straphanger’ was coined in the early 20th century to describe standing passengers of crowded subway, tram, and busses who held onto straps hung from the ceiling for balance. Today, many public transit networks around the world are hanging on to solvency given aging infrastructure, rising costs and a dip in ridership. In the US, monthly average ridership on public transit services is still down more than 20% from pre-pandemic levels. According to McKinsey, over the last 20 years transit operational costs rose by 50%, while revenue per hour of service grew by only 8%. Furthermore, US federal subsidies enacted to support the post-pandemic recovery of transit services are expected to expire this year.
Source: US Department of Transportation, February 2025