USA TODAY: Fueled partly by rising gas prices, public transportation ridership across the USA increased by 2.31% in 2011 over the previous year, the American Public Transportation Association reports…
Also driving ridership: an improving economy. Greater use came despite more than eight out of 10 transit systems either cutting service, increasing fares or both in recent years, says Michael Melaniphy, the association’s president and CEO. “Can you imagine what ridership growth would have been like if they hadn’t had to do those fare increases and service cuts?”…
Having arrival information available on smartphones also helps. “One of the big problems with transit, especially buses, has been the lack of reliability,” Puentes says. “No one wants to be standing waiting on a bus with no idea when it’s coming.”
