WASHINGTON, Jan. 18, 2006
Gas Prices Spur Mass Transit Use
One Of Katrina's Legacies May Be Increased Public Transit Ridership
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Commuters move along the platform next to a Metro North train at Grand Central terminal last month in New York City. (AP)
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More people rode subways, buses and trains last summer after gasoline prices spiked, and many continued to take mass transportation even after those prices fell, according to figures released Wednesday by the American Public Transportation Association.
Average gas prices rose all summer after breaking $2 a gallon in late March, soaring to $3.07 during the week of Sept. 5, the aftermath of Katrina.
"When it spikes, that gets people's attention," said Mantill Williams, AAA spokesman.
From July through September 2005, there were 3.3 percent more trips on public transportation than there were during the same period in 2004, according to APTA.
The average price of a gallon of regular gasoline was $2.55 during those months, up from $1.85 a year before.
In some places, such as Washington and Los Angeles, ridership grew dramatically: 9.1 percent more people used Washington Metro from July through September, and 9 percent more boarded Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority buses and trains than they had the previous summer.
Though gasoline prices fell to $2.22 in November, they were still higher than they were a year ago — $1.93 a gallon in November 2004.
The American Public Transportation Association said that more than 25 transit systems showed double-digit ridership increases from November 2004 to November 2005, including Dallas (14.9 percent), Houston (14.9 percent), Kansas City, Mo. (13 percent), Reno, Nev. (12.4 percent), Salt Lake City (17.7 percent), and Tulsa, Okla. (22 percent).
"It looks like the riders stuck," said William Millar, APTA president.
Transit ridership goes up and down, depending on gas prices, weather and the economy.
Alan Pisarski, a Washington-based national transportation policy analyst, said high gasoline prices will prompt some people to try mass transportation.
"A certain percentage of the population will say, 'Hey, it works for me,"' Pisarski said.
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