Transit ridership rises in second quarter
If you commute to work this morning, how are you getting there? The American Public Transportation Association says lots more of us are taking the bus or the train, according to its latest transit ridership report.
- In the second quarter of 2012, nearly 2.7 billion trips were taken on public transportation — up 1.6 percent from the same time last year
- The largest increases were seen in light rail and heavy rail, although all major modes of public transportation saw a bump
- Nationally, bus ridership rose by almost 1 percent between April and June of this year, with some of the highest increases reported in cities like Oakland, Calif., Providence, R.I., and St. Louis, Mo.
Michael Melaniphy, CEO of the APTA, sees a direct connection between a rise in jobs and the rise in ridership. “What we’re seeing across the country is, as jobs are coming back, people are flocking to transit; using that as their mode of transport.” he says.
Rising gas prices might have been a contributing factor for why people have switched to transit. But Melaniphy is quick to point out that gas prices fell 50 cents in the second quarter, but many riders decided to stick around.
Curious how your state commutes based on the latest census data? Click through the interactive map below.
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