Rising fuel prices are pushing more people to use public transit. According to a new study by the American Public Transportation Association, if the cost of a gallon of regular gasoline tops $4 across the nation, an additional 670 million passenger trips on U.S. public transit systems could be expected. An estimated 1.5 billion passenger trips could occur if the gallon price hits $5.
A number of transit agencies saw an upsurge in ridership in February as prices began to spike. According to the APTA, the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority in Pompano Beach, FL saw an increased ridership of nearly 11 percent, while Triangle Transit in Durham, NC increased nearly 23 percent in the same period.
“We saw this same story in 2008 and several times before where high gas prices caught our country without adequate travel options,” said APTA President William Millar. “However, this time we can write a happy ending and make sure investment is made to expand public transportation so that more Americans have a choice in how they travel.”
For more, visit www.apta.com.