Figure 1.5. Summary of transit operating revenues and expenses 1940-65 millions of dollars
SOURCE: Statistical Abstract of the United States, 1967, Table No. 827. NOTES:
(1) Total operating revenues.
(2) Total operating expenses.
(1)-(2) Net revenue.
(3) Operating revenues--Motarbus.
(4) Operating revenues-Surface rail.
(5) Operating revenues-Subway and elevated
(6) Operating revenues-Trolley coach.
Similarly, the long-term decline of commuter railroads is well known. In 1935, 41 of the metropolitan areas with 1960 populations of more than half a million had commuter rail service over 240 separate routes. In 1961, only 20 of those areas had any service at all, and they had only 83 routes in operation. With few exceptions, service over the remaining routes was less frequent, less reliable, and less attractive than it ever had been. There were over 50,000 buses in local transit operation in 1966 compared with 35,000 in 1940. Route mileage of bus operations increased from 78,000 to 122,100. However, bus vehicle-miles declined from 1.7 billion in 1940 to 1.5 billion miles in 1966. Even with more buses and increased route mileage, poorer bus service has resulted in many cases, particularly during off-peak hours and on weekends, because the buses are operating over longer routes for shorter periods of the day. Motorbus revenue passenger increases of over 1 billion have been more than offset by losses in other public transit: Nearly 700 million by subway and elevated rail transit and a loss of over 4 billion by streetcars and trolley buses. During the 1940 66 period, rapid rail, streetcar, and trolley- bus transit had significant decreases in number of vehicles in operation, route mileage, and vehicle-miles. These transit trends are shown in table 1.2.11
