Could High Gas Prices Push Riders Back to Public Transit?

The quick ascent of gas prices, at a time of economic uncertainty for many, could be just the boost public transit needs to get back to pre-pandemic levels of ridership. Or not.

3 minute read

March 13, 2022, 5:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


A sign showing gas prices, all at more than $5 a gallon.

Prices for a gallon of gas on March 7, 2022 in San José, California. | Michael Vi / Shutterstock

High gas prices could contribute to a ridership rebound on U.S. public transit systems, according to an article by Savannah Maher for Marketplace, echoing what is surely a common speculation among transportation planners and alternative transportation advocates all over the country.

That possibility is debatable, however, as evidenced by past discussions:

The transportation mix is vastly different in 2022, with the negative effects of ride-hailing companies baked into transit ridership for years now. The pandemic has also inspired increasing numbers of people to ride bikes, thanks in part to the popularity of e-bikes. Recent changes in the American automobile market should also not be discounted in the mode choice equation. Electric cars are much more readily available than they were in the last gas price spike and recession, for example. But even more salient, perhaps, is the consumer trend toward larger and larger vehicles—instead of smaller, more efficient vehicles that would mitigate the effects of a spike in gas prices.

Some transit and bike advocates might see increasing transit and bike use as a silver lining of higher gas prices—the benefits to the environment and the potential for economic mobility as a result of more efficient transportation choices are well documented, but it's critical to remember that these changes are happening in the context of unprecedented wealth inequality (in which cars are both a barrier to, and a necessary enabler of, wealth accumulation), decreasing transit service, and, frankly, a brutal culture war that has co-opted almost all of the involved factors as ideological signifiers. And then there's the pandemic. The examples set by previous gas spike prices should not be considered a reliable predictor of current and future transportation trends in today's political and economic landscape.

Still, signs of increased transit use in recent weeks can be seen all over the country. "A few big-city transit systems, including Washington’s Metro and San Francisco’s BART, have seen slight increases in ridership since the beginning of March," according to Maher, from the article cited at the top of this article. Tri-Rail in South Florida also reports increasing ridership, according to an article by Ryan Hughes for WPTV.

Before rushing to connect recent ridership increases to gas prices, recall that recent ridership increases could also be the result of larger numbers of workers returning to the office.   


James Brasuell

James Brasuell, AICP is the former editorial director of Planetizen and is now a senior public affairs specialist at the Southern California Association of Governments. James managed all editorial content and direction for Planetizen from 2014 to 2023, and was promoted from manging editor to editorial director in 2021. After a first career as a class five white water river guide in Trinity County in Northern California, James started his career in Los Angeles as a volunteer at a risk reduction center in Skid Row.

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Green vintage Chicago streetcar from the 1940s parked at the Illinois Railroad Museum in 1988.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails

Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

July 13, 2025 - WTTV

Blue and silver Amtrak train with vibrant green and yellow foliage in background.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail

The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

July 14, 2025 - Smart Cities Dive

Worker in yellow safety vest and hard hat looks up at servers in data center.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power

Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

July 18 - Inside Climate News

Former MARTA CEO Collie Greenwood standing in front of MARTA HQ with blurred MARTA sign visible in background.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns

MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

July 18 - WABE

Rendering of proposed protected bikeway in Santa Clara, California.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant

A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.

July 17 - San José Spotlight