As reporter Robert J. Hawkins notes, "It's like 2008 all over again." Back then, skyrocketing gas prices sent people fleeing to use public transit. Today, the pattern remains the same, at least in San Diego.
Hawkins says that ridership on the San Diego Trolley rose "16.8 percent in December from a year earlier, and 13 percent in January."
The Coaster commuter rail is up 13.7 percent from the previous year.
But fingers are pointing at other culprits as well:
"Local transit officials say gas prices are certainly affecting ridership but that isn't the whole story.
"Public transportation closely follows employment," said MTS's Schupp. When jobs disappear, so do public transit riders.
The jobs are coming back and with them, ridership."
Read the full story: Rising gas prices again filling seats on public transit
San Diego could raise fares for North County buses and trolleys
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North Carolina Triangle transit ridership jumped 32% in April
Rising gas prices are prompting more Americans to consider public transit, where it's available.
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Buses travel at 5mph along this route in NYC. The Bronx's first-ever busway looks to change that
Prior to the busway, buses on the Bx36 route traveled as slowly as 5 miles per hour.
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FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
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Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
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