Four years ago, the Kankakee County region’s mass transit system had a ridership total of more than 450,000.

The recently completed Fiscal 2025 data saw ridership eclipse the 600,000 mark for the River Valley Metro Mass Transit system.

The fiscal year total – which extends from July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2025 – saw ridership reach 613,008. That total represented an increase of 16,019, or 2.7%.

From Fiscal 2022, when ridership came in at 452,258, the Fiscal 2025 total represents a 35.5% hike in ridership.

This four-year growth trend has Ken Munjoy, the system’s chief operating officer, smiling from ear to ear.

“The growth has been slow and steady. We’re experiencing natural growth now until outside forces affect it,” he said.

What those outside forces may be is anyone’s guess, but ridership has grown steadily. Munjoy, however, is expecting these numbers to level off this current budget year and perhaps even the next few.

It was only in Fiscal 2015 when the bus system came ever-so-close to the magical 1 million mark.

The system finished the 2015 operating year with a ridership total of 993,018.

Two major incidents soon followed – a state budget crisis which led to significant cuts in public transportation funding, and then, of course, the COVID-19 pandemic.

When services were cut in 2016, Munjoy said, some transportation behaviors changed. While those behaviors shift rapidly, getting those riders to return often takes time. A lot of time, Munjoy said.

Nonetheless, Munjoy is pleased with where the system finds itself.

Munjoy, however, said gaining ridership annually can be challenging.

“I think we are going to see a flattening out of the curve for a while ... unless something dramatically changes,” he said.

The region’s public transportation system began in 1999. Despite governmental changes, the service has largely remained intact since those early days.

The 13 fixed-route system and its Midway International Airport daily trips, as well as its paratransit service, have seen impressive growth.

Munjoy noted:

· Fixed routes (within Kankakee County) – Up 2.3%. Fiscal 2025 - 557,890, Fiscal 2024 – 545,126;

· Midway Airport – Up 7.8%. Fiscal 2025 - 34,677, Fiscal 2024 32,145; and

· Paratransit – Up 3.6%. Fiscal 2025 - 20,441, Fiscal 2024 - 19,718.

The fixed route rider fee is $1, and the paratransit and Midway fee is $2 per trip.

While growth has slowed, that fact has certainly not caught officials by surprise.

“The growth range is where we thought it would be,” Munjoy said.