As we await the refinement of driverless cars, the Center’s study of the future of transportation explored the old-fashioned alternative: how many people take the bus?

The answer is: quite a few.

The survey found:

Overall

Of all respondents to the transportation survey, 46% said that public transportation was easily available near their home, and they sometimes use a bus to get around.

Age

Bus ridership by those with public transportation easily available near their home includes 60% of Post-Millennials (ages 14-18), 53% of Millennials (ages 19-35), and 41% of Pre-Millennials (ages 36 plus).

Driver’s license

Seventy percent of those who said that public transportation was easily available near their home and do not have a driver’s license use the bus, but so to 42% of those who do have a license.

Region

Buses are used by a higher percentage of people in the Northeast and West (where 51% and 49% respectively ride them), but many in the South (45%) and Midwest (38%) are bus passengers as well.

Urban, suburban, or rural

Fifty-four percent of those with transportation easily available near their home in urban areas use buses, but so do 48% of those in rural areas and 36% of people in the suburbs.

Income

Are buses just modes of transportation for those less well off? No. Forty-nine percent of those with transportation easily available near their home who have household incomes of less than $75,000 a year ride buses, but so do 43% of those with yearly household incomes of $75,000 or more.

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May 21, 2018