A story in yesterday’s Washington Post indicated that transit use continues to grow across the country, with the 6.5% growth from June to September breaking records:
Americans rode subways, buses and commuter railroads in record numbers in the third quarter of this year, even as gas prices dropped and unemployment rose. The 6.5 percent jump in transit ridership over the same period last year marks the largest quarterly increase in public transportation ridership in 25 years, according to a survey to be released today by the American Public Transportation Association.
Ridership growth began hitting record levels last year and continued through the first and second quarters of this year, spurred in large part by gasoline prices that topped $4 a gallon in July, the industry group said. But the third-quarter increase is notable, it said, because gas prices began falling and unemployment rose, trends that tend to drive ridership down.
As the economy continues to sour, it can become more appealing for those with easy access to transit to leave their keys at home or, even more, finally sell that car. A common theme you see in stories like this is that people try transit because of hardship — like the high gas prices that struck last summer — and end up deciding that they prefer this new, less car dependent lifestyle.
Sound Transit just posted their 3rd Quarter 2008 ridership figures.Total ridership increased 21 percent over last year with average 60,000 weekday boardings. It peaked during the highest gas prices and slipped a little but it’s still much higher than last year’s.