MTS commissioned the Fermanian Business & Economic Institute to conduct a study based on economic data from the fiscal year ending in June 2018. MTS chose Fermanian because it specializes in expert consulting dedicated to discovering insights that effect change for organizations around the globe. The report concluded that MTS outperforms the transit system of the other 15 largest metropolitan areas in the U.S., with highest cost recovery and lowest rider costs. Every dollar the public had invested in MTS, the public received $2.82 in the form of jobs, infrastructure investment, productivity gains, environmental benefits and money saved by riders. The San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) generated $1 billion in positive economic impact for the region, $625 million in total personal income, reduced greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to 403 million few cars and is a major economic gateway between Mexico and San Diego providing 19,000 bus and trolley trips for U.S.-Mexico workers.
