EZ-Rider's fixed-route ridership in Midland saw a plateau in December 2024, as reported by the Midland-Odessa Urban Transit District (MOUTD). The public transportation use in Midland decreased from over 12,700 passengers in October to 9,991 in December. This figure was nearly identical to the ridership recorded in December 2023, which stood at 9,995.
The MOUTD highlighted that fixed-route ridership in Midland has increased by 10.2% compared to Odessa. Additionally, paratransit ridership showed a year-over-year increase of 12.7% in Midland.
EZ-Rider serves as the bus system for both Midland and Odessa and is operated by the Midland-Odessa Urban Transit District. The City of Midland contributes funding to support EZ-Rider operations.
Ridership data for recent months shows fluctuations with October recording 12,778 passengers, November with 9,939 passengers, and December maintaining a similar level at 9,991 passengers on fixed routes.
Comparative figures between Midland and Odessa reveal varying trends throughout the year across different months for fixed routes. In March, Midland had 10,851 riders compared to Odessa's 9,680; while by December those numbers were closer with Midland at 9,991 and Odessa at 9,061.
Paratransit services also experienced changes with passenger numbers decreasing from October’s count of 1,863 to November’s total of 1,631 and further down to December’s tally of 1,497.