Approximately 57 percent of city travelers this summer plan to use public transportation, according to the American Public Transportation Association’s (APTA) 2012 “Travel like a Local” Summer Travel Survey.
An estimated 104 million people are planning a trip to the city this summer; that is one third of Americans. Of those who plan to visit a city, 57 percent or 62 million people nationwide plan to use local public transportation on their vacation this summer.
The survey, conducted in mid-May, shows that cost and convenience are two strong factors motivating city visitors to use public transportation. Among those travelers who will be using public transportation during their city trips, 71 percent said using public transportation relieves them from the worry of finding parking for their vehicle, while 68 percent believe that it is less expensive than taxis and rental cars. Some 67 percent will use public transportation to save money on parking and 52 percent responded they can save money on gas for their vehicle.
Travel experts at AAA note that this year Americans will be staying closer to home and the APTA survey reveals that heading to a city this summer will be a prime destination.