With the state's population expected to surpass 13.7 million people by 2040, public transit is more important than ever to North Carolina's transportation system. Not only does it provide safe, cost-effective and environmentally friendly alternatives for getting to work or school as well as shopping and tourist destinations, public transportation is vital to state and local economies.
Created by the N.C. General Assembly in 1974, the N.C. Department of Transportation's Public Transportation Division, later merged into the Integrated Mobility Division, provides planning and technical assistance to help public transportation systems improve transit services.
Here are some facts about public transit across the state:
- North Carolina's 98 public transportation systems served more than 70 million passengers in 2019.
- Transit systems support more than 12,500 jobs in the state, resulting in in $633 million in wages.
- Public transit produces for the state $6 in investment for every $1 spent.