Transit ridership rises, thanks to young commuters and high gas prices

[marmar]

Transit ridership rises, thanks to young commuters and high gas prices
April 17, 2012|By Paul Nussbaum, Inquirer Staff Writer


High gas prices and the changing habits of young people are driving a shift toward mass transit that could influence budget battles in Washington and state capitals.

Nationwide last year, buses, subways, and trains had their second-highest ridership since 1957 - behind only 2008, when the price of gas topped $4 a gallon. Locally, SEPTA, NJ Transit, and PATCO all report increased ridership.

Amtrak, which last week said it carried 3.7 percent more passengers in the six months that ended in March than in the same period a year earlier, appears headed for its ninth national ridership record in 10 years.

U.S. highway use was down slightly in 2011, with 1.2 percent fewer vehicle miles traveled than in 2010, and 1.3 percent fewer than in 2007. .....................(more)

The complete piece is at: http://articles.philly.com/2012-04-17/news/31355828_1_gas-prices-ridership-mass-transit

[kestrel91316]

1. Ridership in Los Angeles looks like it it climbing, but still

they keep cutting service. Maybe it's just that each bus is more crowded because there are so few of them.

[gratuitous]

2. Oh, nobody rides the bus anymore, they're too crowded!

Whoda thunk it, though? The price of gasoline jumps a dollar or more a gallon, and people start watching it a little closer. Almost as if they're rational economic actors!

Note to our corporate overlords: A mindful consumer is not your friend. Forcing people to think about a quick trip to the grocery store for a carton of milk means they'll start thinking about their other buying habits.