Public Transit Use Surges In U.S. Even As Gasoline Prices Plummet

The number of Americans using public transportation continued to increase during the third quarter of 2008, even as gasoline prices dropped sharply and unemployment soared, according to a survey by the American Public Transportation Association. From July through September, riders took more than 2.8 billion trips — an increase of 8.5 percent on streetcars, 7.2 percent on buses, 6.3 percent on commuter rail, and 5.2 percent on subways, compared with the same period in 2007. A 6.5 percent increase in public transit ridership this September, compared with last September, is the steepest monthly increase in 25 years, according to the Washington Post. Meanwhile, American commuters drove 4.4 percent less in September than they did in September, 2007. That marked the 11th consecutive month of reduced driving, despite a precipitous drop in average gasoline prices from $4.11 per gallon in early July to $1.73 per gallon on Monday, according to the Federal Highway Administration. Researchers said the jump in public transit ridership was unexpected since falling gas prices and increased unemployment usually mean reduced use of public transportation.