Don’t Buy That TransPass Just Yet

Oh, those blasted high gas prices. With gas now approximately $45 a gallon (and rising), more and more people are turning to public transit.

In Washington, D.C., last Thursday was the sixth-busiest day in the history of the Metrorail service. In Salt Lake City, ridership on a light rail service is up 50 percent. In Tulsa, trips are up 28 percent since the start of the year. And in San Franscisco, ridership are up since the fiscal year’s beginning.

And, in Philadelphia…

SEPTA is not experiencing a rush of new commuters trying to escape high gas prices, nor does it expect to.

The transit agency has been down this route before, says spokesman Richard Maloney, including during the gas lines of the ’70s. And the long-term lesson is that a lot of people will simply bear the cost to drive.

Gee. I wonder why people aren’t flocking to the system. I wonder…

Commuters Staying in Their Cars Despite Fuel Prices, Says SEPTA [KYW 1060]
Drivers switch to public transit [USA Today]
Photo via dalig.blog