New Mexico's New Rail Line Gradually Gaining Riders

"Having debuted in July, the Rail Runner attracted 4,000 to 4,500 daily riders at first, thanks largely to free trips and the novelty factor."

But by fall, ridership dipped to about 1,000 per day. Officials say that new stations have attracted more riders, bringing daily totals up above 2,000.

"Lawrence Rael, executive director of the Mid-Region Council of Governments, said he would expect ridership to creep upward along with the price of gas, which is averaging $2.76 per gallon in Albuquerque, up 33 cents from a month ago, according to AAA."

"Across the nation, public transit agencies routinely see ridership spikes when gas prices rise."