Cheaper Gas Prices Not Deterring Bay Area Commuters From Using Mass Transit
SAN JOSE (KCBS) — Drivers are not the only ones excited about cheaper gas prices; transit agencies are also saving money on diesel fuel. But public transit ridership remains high despite the low fuel costs.
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Cheaper Gas Prices Not Deterring Bay Area Commuters From Using Mass Transit
While there is no question that transit agencies are benefitting from the lower costs of diesel fuel, which many commuter buses run on.
"Yes, we definitely save money when gas is cheaper," Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority spokeswoman Brandi Childress told KCBS.
At the same time, Childress said that ridership levels remain high despite cheaper fuel costs due to heavy traffic congestion—that is something many commuters would rather not have to deal with.
"They can get on light rail which doesn't have to fight the traffic or they can ride some of our express buses, which get to operate in the carpool lanes," she said.
Meanwhile, the San Francisco Municipal Transit Agency said it Muni ridership numbers remain high and San Mateo County Transit (SamTrans) said that ridership is up due to major service improvements and the healthy economy.
According to the American Public Transportation Association, passenger trips have gone up 1.8 percent nationwide—largely due to improvements in mass transit systems.
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