Week of Mar. 12, 2007

Metro Transit’s ridership surge is echoed nationally

Transit ridership is increasing not only in King County, but also nationally. This week, the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) announced that Americans took 10.1 billion trips on public transportation nationwide in 2006 – the most in 49 years.

The national numbers reflect the surge in bus ridership that King County Metro Transit announced in January. Metro confirmed it set a new record for ridership in 2006 with 103.2 million passenger boardings. That’s just the number of trips taken on Metro bus routes, and does not include more than an additional 3.2 million trips taken by passengers traveling in vanpools and via transportation services for people with disabilities.

“Here in King County, we are part of a national trend where more people are looking for more travel options,” said Metro General Manager Kevin Desmond. “Last year, the combination of more local jobs and higher gas prices were two big reasons we saw more people riding Metro, but improved transit connections were also a factor. People are looking for ways to drive less, both to save money and protect the environment.”

APTA reports that over the past decade, public transportation’s growth rate outpaced many other indicators. Public transit ridership use is up 30 percent since 1995. That is more than double the national population growth rate (12 percent), and higher than the growth rate for the vehicle miles traveled on U.S. highways (24 percent) during the same period. In 2006, public transit ridership grew 2.9 percent over 2005.

“Funding from the voter-approved Transit Now initiative will allow us to meet this increasing demand for transit service by adding more buses on popular routes and moving ahead to bring RapidRide – our own brand of bus rapid transit – to five heavily congested corridors in King County,” said Desmond.

APTA breaks down ridership statistics by transit mode. When looking at the increase in national ridership numbers in the category of fuel-powered buses, Metro was at the top of the pack along with Dallas, Los Angeles and Houston. APTA actually counts readership on Metro’s 137 electric trolley buses as a separate mode of travel.

In January, APTA released a study that shows public transportation use saves 1.4 billion gallons of gasoline every year nationally, and can reduce people’s individual household expenses by $6,200 - more than the average household pays for food in a year.

The study, "Public Transportation and Petroleum Savings in the U.S.: Reducing Dependence on Oil" finds that:

• Public transportation usage reduces U.S. gasoline consumption by 1.4 billion gallons each year - or the equivalent of 108 million cars filling up, almost 300,000 each day. These savings result from the efficiency of carrying multiple passengers in each vehicle; the reduction in traffic congestion from fewer automobiles on the roads; and the varied sources of energy for public transportation. If twice as many Americans had the choice of taking public transportation, these gasoline savings would at least double to 2.8 billion gallons each year; and

• Households that are likely to use public transportation on a given day save more than $6,200 every year, compared to a household with no access to public transportation service. These households have two workers, one car and are within three-quarters of a mile of public transportation. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average U.S. household spends $5,781 on food.

St. Patrick’s Day Parade will reroute some buses Photo Courtesy of Jal Schrof. St. Patrick drove the snakes out of Ireland, and he’s driving a few buses off route this weekend in Seattle. The annual parade to honor the Irish patron will cause a few hours of rerouting for some buses on Saturday, March 17, in downtown Seattle. The St. Patrick’s Day Parade travels along Fourth Avenue north from Jefferson Street to the Westlake Center. Buses that normally travel on Fourth Avenue will be rerouted to Third Avenue from approximately 11a.m. to 2 p.m. Pine Street electric trolley buses will be rerouted via 7th Avenue to Union St, and Route 125 will be rerouted via 8th Avenue to Stewart St during this time. Information about the reroutes will be posted later this week on Metro Online.

March spot auction features variety of items The next King County Spot Bid auction will take place Wednesday, March 14 and features the usual surplus office equipment, but also jewelry, collectible coins, and an antique sword. The auction is managed by the Fleet Administration Division, and includes both King County surplus and items from other government agencies. Previews are on auction day only, from 10 a.m. until the start of the bidding process at noon. The auction will take place at Fleet’s warehouse at 707 S. Orcas St., Seattle. For information, photos and driving directions, visit the auction website.

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