From Reuters, 7/25/06:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060725/ts_nm/energy_us_publictransport_dc

US gasoline at $3 drives people onto buses, trains

From Reuters, 7/25/06:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060725/ts_nm/energy_us_publictransport_dc

US gasoline at $3 drives people onto buses, trains

By Carolyn Koo

NEW YORK (Reuters) -

Gasoline prices at near-record highs are fueling a big increase in the
number of riders on buses and trains, prompting cities around the
country to improve their public transport systems, transportation
agencies said on Tuesday.

The Energy Information Administration, the U.S. government's top
energy forecasting agency, on Monday said the average U.S. retail
gasoline price increased 71 cents over a year ago to $3 a gallon, the
second highest pump price ever.

The highest price, $3.057 a gallon, came in the wake of Hurricane
Katrina last summer.

If that experience is any indication, it showed Americans can indeed
be forced from their cars at the right price.

"Around the time Katrina hit and the gas prices started approaching
$3, we began to hear from our members that they were seeing large
spikes in ridership," William Millar, president of the American Public
Transport Association, said.

"There were literally dozens of cities that were seeing double-digit
increases."

It's estimated that U.S. riders of public transport save 855 million
gallons of gasoline a year, or $2.56 billion at current average prices
for a gallon of regular gasoline, according to the APTA.

The APTA and transportation agencies around the country are optimistic
they'll continue enjoying increased ridership as gasoline prices go
up.

In the first quarter, as gas prices started to surge again, public
transportation ridership rose 4.25 percent nationwide, representing
almost 2.5 billion trips, the APTA said.

The increase "seems to relate very largely to gas prices," Millar
said.

"Hearing anecdotally from our members about their second quarter
numbers, it would appear that trend is continuing."

LOCAL TAXES TO FUND IMPROVEMENTS

Websites are helping to make a difference, with several transit
systems around the nation, including Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Dallas,
enjoying increased hits on their sites.

"You might look at that as an indication of future business," said
Millar.

Traffic on the Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) website has "gone up
and actually spiked with the rises in gas prices," said DART spokesman
Morgan Lyons.

The boost in ridership has many of the country's transit systems
looking to make improvements, with ballot initiatives asking voters
for permission to raise local taxes for public transit or to continue
taxes that were scheduled to end.

For instance, Salt Lake City, where ridership is up 43 percent versus
a year ago, is asking the public this fall for $900 million to add 30
miles of tracks to the city's light rail system in a project that is
expected to cost $1.2 billion.

Polling indicates 93 percent of voters in the area want a chance to
vote on the initiative, with 65 percent of them saying they would
approve the plan, according to Utah Transit Authority spokesman Justin
Jones.

"You have to have the demand in order to justify doing that," said
Joan Hunter, a spokeswoman for the Fort Worth Transportation
Authority.

"I think now the interest for the first time in years is really high."

_________________________________________________________

Yes. Way to go.

Harry

From Reuters, 7/25/06:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060725/ts_nm/energy_us_publictransport_dc
US gasoline at $3 drives people onto buses, trains

From Reuters, 7/25/06:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060725/ts_nm/energy_us_publictransport_dc

US gasoline at $3 drives people onto buses, trains

From Reuters, 7/25/06:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060725/ts_nm/energy_us_publictransport_dc
US gasoline at $3 drives people onto buses, trains
"I think now the interest for the first time in years is really high."
_________________________________________________________
Yes. Way to go.

Harry