BusTalk

[ripta42]

Port Authority Transit Ridership Drops Despite Jump in Gas
Jenny Paul, Pittsburgh Tribune Review

The Port Authority of Allegheny County is losing riders at a time when soaring gas prices are spurring more people nationwide to choose mass transit.

Port Authority ridership dipped more than 5 percent in the first three months of 2008, compared to the year-ago period. Its Philadelphia counterpart, the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, saw a 6 percent ridership increase, according to a report released by the American Public Transportation Association.

"We've had a dramatic increase in ridership," said SEPTA spokesman Richard Maloney. "It's mostly suburban riders coming into the city. The greatest increase in ridership is the people who have the longest commutes."

Smaller mass transit agencies in Beaver and Westmoreland counties have seen gains.

Port Authority spokeswoman Judi McNeil blames a January fare increase and a 15 percent service reduction last June.

"Both of those actions obviously result in reduced ridership, but what we're seeing is the ridership has not fallen to the depths we had thought it would," she said. "We believe the gas prices are minimizing that ridership loss."

The agency had expected the route cuts and rate increase to produce an 8 percent ridership drop, she said.

Kristen Brandenstein, 41, of Ross said she and her husband car-pool every day to get to work Downtown. She used to take a Port Authority bus to work about two times a week, but began driving after the route cuts took effect. The service reduction limited her ability to use a bus to get back to Ross during the day if her day-care provider needed her to come home, she said.

With the cuts, "it's transfer, transfer, transfer," Brandenstein said. "I could probably walk home faster."

Rising gas prices have prompted her to think about using the bus instead of driving, she said.

"If I didn't need my car for the day, I would definitely take the bus because of the gas," she said.

Mark Lindsay, who works Downtown, said he drives to work out of convenience, because he often stays at the office late, when buses that would take him home to Wexford run less frequently.

"I've definitely thought there has to be a better way, but the bus doesn't seem like a good alternative," said Lindsay, 35.

McNeil said the agency will be able to see more clearly how gas prices have affected ridership after figures for June and July become available.

"When we will really see apples-to-apples numbers is when we compare June of '08 to June of '07," she said. "Then we'll be comparing the same level of service year to year."

Gas prices have driven ridership gains at other Western Pennsylvania transit agencies.

Beaver County Transit Authority served about 70,000 people in April, up 24 percent from the previous year. Most of the authority's riders are commuters traveling to Allegheny County, and the most popular route runs between Pittsburgh and Chippewa in Beaver County, said General Manager Mary Jo Morandini.

"That's kind of the workhorse of the system," she said.

Westmoreland County Transit Authority experienced a similar jump in April ridership. The authority had about 37,000 riders in April, up 23 percent from last year, said Larry Morris, executive director.

Also in April, the authority added two daily round trips between Greensburg and Pittsburgh because its buses had become so popular, he said. The authority operates four daily routes to and from Pittsburgh.

"It's just to help alleviate overcrowding because we had people standing," Morris said.

[Mr. Linsky]

Michael,

It's certainly beginning to look as though transit ridership across the board is enjoying a resurgency not seen since the end of World War Two despite Allegheny's unique problem.

Just the piece below from a recent edition of the Los Angeles Times seems to prove it beyond doubt.

Out here, both Metrolink and Amtrak no longer have enough seats to accommodate the throngs of new riders (any wonder when you consider the 'gas guzzlers' they all drive in L.A.).

I even notice more crowded LACMTA buses along the routes that I frequent.

I think bus manufacturers better take it up a notch because this isn't some 'flash in the pan' - it's more like permanent!

From the L. A. Times;

"So spiking gas prices have done what no amount of begging, pleading or green-guilting could achieve -- growth in ridership on local rail lines, the Star-News reports. The Gold Line takes top honors with a 19 percent increase, while the Red Line boasts a more modest 5 percent rise.

"When we begin to approach the $5 mark, we anticipate more people will start to park their SUVs and start using public transit for their commute," [Metro spokesman Rick] Jaeger said.

The hike in Gold Line ridership has been evident for a while to longtime users at the Sierra Madre Villa Station in East Pasadena, which had already filled to its nearly 1,000-vehicle capacity by 9 a.m. Tuesday.

"I can't find any parking at all anymore when I come at 11 a.m.," said Linette Dai, who uses the Gold Line occasionally to get to her job in Chinatown. "Before, you could find some really great parking spots in the morning."

You'll shell out $1.25 for a one-way ticket on the Metro Rail, no matter where it goes. Ride all day for just five bucks, which many expect will soon be the price of a gallon of gas".

Written by Veronique de Turenne
Photo: Bruce A. Mackenzie

Mr. Linsky - Green Bus Lines, Inc., Jamaica, NY

Actually it's $4.59, $4.79 and $4.99 right now!
(and don't ask about Diesel!).

[CAT218]

Unfortunately, this isn't all rosey for transit systems. These ridership spikes are nice, but they can't afford the diesel fuel to operate, so you're going to end up seeing two things happen that usually don't in this time of increases: fare increases and service cutbacks.

It's going to cause a huge strain and eventually cause more harm than good.

[Mr. Linsky]

CAT218,

Good points - let's look at them one at a time;

Unless gasoline falls way back to two or two and a half dollars a gallon which is very unlikely, this is no spike - this is the real thing!

While it is true that private transit operators (of which there are few left) will certainly feel the full wrath of the crises, public transit gets a bit of a break because their fuel is untaxed (taxes accounting for some one quarter of the worth of each gallon - at least here in California).

Fare increases are inevitable regardless of fuel costs but the service cutback trend will abate as more and more riders clamor for seats (it's the old 'supply and demand' theory that will force the issue).

BTW; I think riders would be happy to pay double the fare when they compare it to paying $5.00 a gallon to get to work in their own cars! - I know I would!

Mr. Linsky - Green Bus Lines, Inc., Jamaica, NY

[ripta42]

That's exactly what happened at RIPTA this year. Their budget for FY2009 (beginning 7/1/0 estimated moderate increased in fuel cost, and the agency projected an operating surplus. Now, fares are going up July 1 and they're still looking at an almost $5 million deficit for FY2009. To make matters worse, like many transit agencies, much of their funding comes from gasoline taxes, revenue from which is way down because people are switching to the bus!

Providence Business News article

[Mr. Linsky]

Michael,

It's certainly beginning to look like a 'no win' situation all the way around!

It's a 'Catch 22'!

I give up - I don't know all the answers.

We'll just have to see how this thing is going to unfold.

In the meantime, the government (who should have seen this handwriting on the wall early on) is doing absolutely nothing - but, don't get me started on that!

Mr. 'L'

[CAT218]

It really is a Catch-22. On one hand one could say that for everyone that dumps the pump for public transportation, that means less subsidies due to the fact that there is increased ridership and the resulting increased fare revenues. However, the revenues from gas taxes may not be able to be offset by the increases in fares collected. The interesting thing would be if traffic volumes decrease to a point that would allow transit agencies to re-time their routes to shave off a couple of minutes here and there which could end up totalling a lot in the long run. I'm not holding my breath for that.

At the RTC, we've completely blown our budget due to fuel and we're budgeting something like $40 million for next fiscal year. We did hedge on what amounts to 75% of our fuel costs for then, but that 25% that we can't is going to kill us, and as you were saying, that's with fuel being untaxed!