Transit Group Says Buses, Trains An Increasingly Popular Option
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A national mass transit organization said more and more people are choosing to take buses or trains to work these days.
The American Public Transportation Association said, in 2014, more trips were taken on public transit than any time in nearly 60 years – nearly 11 billion rides nationwide.
APTA vice president of policy Art Guzzetti said more people started taking public transportation when gas prices skyrocketed, and when prices started going down, many kept taking buses or trains.
"They got the taste of a good option. You know, it might not be the option every day for every trip. It probably won't be, but it's an option that's there, and it's trending well," he said.
Guzzetti said more money needs to be spent on mass transit, especially to deal with a backlog of repairs, and to replace aging infrastructure.
The APTA is lobbying Congress to spend more on public transit, to keep systems in good enough shape to handle the continued growth in ridership.