Much like the county at large, the transit system has a structural deficit: the annual cost of MCTS is more than the annual revenue it receives. The majority of the transit system’s operating revenue comes from the state’s annual allocation of “mass transit operating assistance.” This funding assistance from the state has remained stagnant for more than a decade while operating costs increase annually with inflation.

This funding, called “mass transit operating assistance,” is the largest single source of funding for MCTS each year and covers approximately 50% of the cost of operating the system.