CATA reaches five million riders during FY 24-25
The Centre Area Transportation Authority (CATA) served five million riders during the 2024–2025 fiscal year (FY). The milestone puts CATA back on track to return to pre-pandemic ridership levels of 5.95 million.
CATA attributes the growth to a series of service improvements across its CATABUS, CATAGO!, CATARIDE and CATACommute programs. Over the past FY, CATA notes community service ridership increased 4.7% while system-wide ridership grew 2.8% compared to the previous year.
According to CATA, service changes implemented in fall 2024 played a key role in the growth as well, including improved frequency in high-demand corridors. CATA’s three major corridors saw increased ridership of more than 16%, offering passengers 11-minute headways during morning and afternoon peaks. The authority also expanded weekend and holiday service, further improving access and reliability for riders.
Additionally, CATA notes it streamlined access by making all apartment passes valid system-wide, simplifying transit use for local residents. According to the agency, earlier move-in dates for off-campus housing have also allowed new students to better plan their travel routes before the start of the semester. CATA says the system is being further enhanced by the implementation of a new fare collection system from Token Transit, which offers passengers more flexible payment options and will include an open payment tap card option this fall.
“This milestone is a testament to the community’s confidence in CATA and the hard work of our team,” said CATA CEO David Rishel. “The changes we’ve made over the last year have been revolutionary. By improving service frequency, expanding coverage and creating more convenient options, we’re making public transit a more reliable, sustainable and attractive choice for everyone in our region, and these ridership numbers confirm this.”
In addition to fixed route improvements, CATA notes it has also significantly expanded its CATAGO! microtransit service. The agency says FY25 saw the service area nearly double, and FY26 will further expand the service. By the end of this current FY, every resident in the Centre Region will have access to the CATA system for the first time in the system’s history.