High Gas Prices Spur Public Transit Ridership Increases

According to a press release for the American Public Transportation Association ridership is increasing.

With the spike in gas prices in recent months, more and more Americans are getting out of their cars and turning to public transportation to commute, get to school, visit friends and family, and go shopping, and transit is taking prominent role in the dialogue about reducing the nation’s energy consumption. According to research, if Americans used public transportation the same rate as Europeans, for roughly 10 percent of their daily travel needs, the U.S. would reduce its dependence on imported oil by more than 40 percent, or nearly the amount of oil the U.S. imports from Saudi Arabia each year.

“Increased use of public transportation is the single most effective way to reduce America’s energy consumption, and it does not require any new taxes, government mandates or regulations,” Millar said. “With today’s growing concern about energy security, transit is emerging as a critical part of the solution.”

What caught my attention was the inclusion of Ben Franklin Transit in the press release:

Ben Franklin Transit is seeing a ridership increase of about 3%, and significant increases in the volume of calls they are receiving. Most callers are inquiring about fixed route service, and the calls are longer and more detail oriented. People are asking how to ride, the cost to ride and how long it takes to get to various destinations. The system recently ran a shuttle for the county fair and saw a ridership increase of 34% over 2004.

So my question is - any of you taking the bus instead of driving? And if so, why?