Why Are Transit Buses So Expensive?
16th February 2026
One argument against rail transit is that rail vehicles cost a lot more than buses, even when adjusting for numbers of seats and vehicle lifespans. The transit industry is trying to fix that — by spending more on buses. As shown in the table below, table 24 of the American Public Transportation Association’s vehicle database says that an intercity bus costs less than $300,000, but in 2023 and 2024 transit agencies spent an average of more than $1.1 million for 40-foot buses to use for bus rapid transit.
Politicians (especially Democrat politicians) love to spend money (your money, not their own money).
And … they love having juicy contracts to pass out among … friends, let us say.