Overall RTS ridership averaging more than 23,000 riders per month
RAPID CITY, SD—Rapid Transit System (RTS) recorded 56,867 youth passenger trips during the recently-completed 2024-25 school year, more than 10,000 additional youth trips recorded over the previous school year and setting a five-year high for youth ridership.
The August through May youth ridership numbers represent an 18 percent increase from the 2023-24 school year (46,827 youth trips), a 28 percent increase from 2022-23 (40,669), 42 percent jump from 2021-22 (33,101) and 51 percent increase from 2020-21 (27,662).
RTS averaged more than 6,318 youth riders for each full month schools were in session (September through May). The highest number of monthly youth trips recorded for the school year was tabulated last October with 7,466 youth passenger trips tallied with three months surpassing 6,000 youth trips recorded (September, March, April). By comparison, RTS recorded more than 5,000 youth passenger trips in four of the nine full months of the 2023-24 school calendar period with a high of 5,657 passenger trips recorded in April 2024.
“We saw very big numbers for youth ridership this school year,” said RTS Manager Megan Gould-Stabile. “The trends continue pushing upwards in terms of both youth and overall ridership.”
Gould-Stabile says the ‘Youth Ride Free’ program, which started in 2016, continues to offer free rides for youth during the summer months.
“It’s a great option for our youth to get to their jobs, to the pools, movies, shopping and to their friend’s house,” Gould-Stabile said.
OVERALL RIDERSHIP
Rapid Transit System recorded nearly 23,342 passenger trips in May, a six-percent increase over ridership from the same month a year ago when 21,971 passenger trips were recorded.
A total of 211,725 passenger trips have been recorded on the Rapid Transit System buses – including RapidRide and Dial-A-Ride operations – since last September. During the past nine months, overall ridership has averaged more than 23,000 riders per month.
For more information about the RTS program, visit www.rapidride.org or call 605-394-6631. In addition, parents and guardians can contact Rapid Transit Service to register for the youth ridership program or go online to rapidride.org and click on the ‘Youth Ride Free’ button
