Delaware County Transit reports strong ridership growth, national recognition
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Summary
Andy Volnick told commissioners the county transit system projected more than 200,000 trips in 2025, with average weekday ridership of about 720 and a year‑over‑year average weekday increase of 27%; Volnick said the agency ranked third nationally in percent ridership increase for its category.
Andy Volnick, executive director of the Delaware County Transit Board, presented the board of commissioners with a 2025 year‑end report highlighting ridership growth, operational metrics and recent awards.
Volnick said the transit agency employed about 73 staff, operated 36 vehicles and expected its operating budget to come in a bit under the $6,000,000 projection. He said average weekday trips this year were about 720, Saturday averages were about 276, and the system performed roughly 154,000 trips in the prior year with a projection to exceed 200,000 in 2025. "We've done a 174% increase over that time period," Volnick said, contrasting the agency's percent growth since 2021. He added that year‑over‑year average weekday ridership increased by about 27%.
Volnick told the commissioners the cost per trip declined from approximately $37 to just above $29 since he started in 2022, in part because fixed costs were spread over higher ridership. He also noted state and federal audits and said the agency received a national recognition from the American Public Transportation Association for year‑over‑year ridership increase, placing third in its category nationwide.
Board chair Bruce Lukey and commissioners praised staff and the agency's leadership for growth and competitiveness for federal and state funding. Volnick said the board is planning pilots for 2026 including a waiver pilot with the Developmental Disabilities Board and a micro‑transit zone in Orange Township tied to workforce funding; he also noted a pending workforce transportation study the transit board hopes to fund.
Next steps mentioned: continue strategic plan implementation, pursue pilot programs in 2026 and finalize the workforce transportation study for approval at the transit board's upcoming meeting.
Speakers quoted in this piece spoke on record to the commissioners during the item.
