Special Report: Bus Fleet Snapshot Ridership continues to increase on North American bus networks and the market continues its move toward a future with lower or zero-emission fleets. COMP I L ED BY MI S CHA WANE K- L I BMAN , E DI TOR IN CHIE F T he bus continues to be the workhorse of the transit industry. New bus projects to enter revenue service during the past year include C-TRAN's Mill Plain Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), Capital District Transportation Authority's BusPlus Purple Line BRT, EMBARK's inaugural RAPID line and Community Transit's Swift Orange Line. The mode is experiencing general ridership return at a faster rate than other modes and it's driving the industry's movement toward lower and zero emissions. This report is designed to provide a snapshot of what is occurring in the bus market through recent news and data analysis. A policy brief released in December 2023 from the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) offers a national view of ridership trends in the U.S. Overall, transit ridership has reached more than 77 percent of pre-pandemic levels, which is a significant gain when compared against the lowest levels that represented 20 percent of pre-pandemic ridership. While the job market and return to office polices have helped transit ridership recovery, office occupancy rates have slowed while ridership continues to increase, indicating the attraction of transit for non-commute trips. The APTA brief explains bus ridership has consistently led other modes in ridership recovery " due to bus rider population groups, " which include 12 Mass Transit | MARCH/APRIL 2024 187008554 | Liufuyu | Getty Images