ORLANDO, Fla. — Orlando is among the worst large urban areas in the country for public transit, according to a new report from ConsumerAffairs.
The report ranked Orlando No. 8 among the 10 lowest-scoring public transit systems in the 50 largest U.S. urban areas.
ConsumerAffairs said it analyzed the 50 largest urban areas using federal data and ranked systems based on usefulness and accessibility, affordability, and operational safety.
According to the report, Oklahoma City ranked last, followed by Jacksonville, Buffalo, Indianapolis, Columbus, Memphis, Virginia Beach-Norfolk, Orlando, Cleveland and Louisville.
Affordability, safety hurt Orlando’s ranking
ConsumerAffairs said Orlando’s lower ranking was driven mainly by affordability and operational safety.
According to the report, Orlando had the fourth-least affordable public transit system among the 50 areas analyzed.
ConsumerAffairs said passengers in Orlando paid an average of $1.06 per boarding.
The report estimated that someone who regularly commutes by public transit would spend about $530 a year on fares.
ConsumerAffairs said median earnings for Orlando residents who commute by public transit were $22,150 a year. That means estimated annual fares would represent about 2.4% of their earnings, according to the report.
Report cites safety data
ConsumerAffairs also ranked Orlando No. 17 among the worst cities for operational safety.
The report said Orlando had about 3.14 collisions, fires or derailments for every million vehicle miles traveled in service in 2024.
ConsumerAffairs also said about four people were killed or injured in major safety and security events per million vehicle miles traveled in service that year.
The report said its safety data came from the Federal Transit Administration’s National Transit Database.
Public transit use still rising nationally
The report said most U.S. workers still drive alone to work.
In 2024, 69.2% of workers drove alone, while 3.7% took public transportation, according to U.S. Census Bureau data cited by ConsumerAffairs.
ConsumerAffairs said Americans took 7.7 billion public transit trips in 2024, up 24% from 2022, citing the American Public Transportation Association.
The report said San Francisco-Oakland had the highest overall public transit ranking, followed by New York-Jersey City-Newark, Washington-Arlington, Seattle-Tacoma and Salt Lake City.
Expert cites common problems
Paul Goyette, a research project manager at the University of South Florida Center for Urban Transportation Research, told ConsumerAffairs that weaker transit systems often share several problems.
Those include agency instability, lack of local support and funding, and rider distrust caused by route reductions, safety concerns and inconsistent customer service, according to the report.
ConsumerAffairs noted that a low ranking does not mean public transit disappears, but said those systems may create more friction for riders than higher-ranked systems.
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