Ridership on Santa Maria Transit Sees 8-10% Increase Thanks to High Gas Prices

Transit ridership in Santa Maria, California jumped by 8 to 10 percent in March from the same time last year as gas prices continue to rise, reports Dave Alley for KEYT.

According to Alley, “On Main Street, the Shell station at the intersection of Nicholson Avenue, just off of Highway 101, a gallon of regular unleaded was at $6.19, while a block away on the other side of the freeway, the Mobil station had regular unleaded listed at $5.99.” Santa Maria’s transit system, by contrast, costs $1.50 per ride or $3 for a day pass.

“I think we're all going to be rooting and hoping for fuel stability, but now is probably a good time for families to start thinking about alternative plans for their mobility options. It's going to be important that we have that room in our budget to address our basic needs,” said Gamaliel Anguiano, SMRT Transit Services Manager. Many Santa Maria residents commute to nearby towns like San Luis Obispo or Lompoc for work. “It's going to start making a lot of sense for a lot of folks to switch over to public transit,” Anguiano adds.