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Bus ridership up sharply as gasoline prices soar
By JON WILSON
Published September 21, 2005
ST. PETERSBURG - Ridership on the county bus line has jumped 19 percent over a year ago, the biggest increase in memory, officials said.
They pointed to sharply rising gasoline prices as the reason about 940,000 county residents caught a bus during August - usually the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority's slowest month.
"I think it finally got to be an economic burden and people just decided to do something differently," said Roger Sweeney, the PSTA's executive director.
The number of cyclists using buses also increased in August compared to August 2004, Sweeney said.
In August 2004, about 17,000 riders popped their bicycles into bus-borne carriers as part of combo bus-bike journeys.
This past August, the figure jumped to about 20,000, an 18 percent increase.
The growing bike business last month prompted PSTA board member Karl Nurse to propose eliminating the requirements to buy a $2 "Bikes on Buses" permit and watch a video about loading bikes on the racks.
The proposal has been turned down. But it's not dead forever, Nurse said Monday.
He suggested conducting the training at city facilities such as City Hall in the Mall and finding other ways for the city to work with the PSTA. One possibility is matching every PSTA bus stop bike rack with one from the city.
"We'll eventually get rid of the permit, I'm convinced," Nurse said.
August's overall county bus ridership jumped across the board.
Routes 18 and 19, which connect north and south county, showed the biggest individual increases, Sweeney said.
Route 19 runs on U.S. 19 between Eckerd College and Tarpon Springs. It recently scheduled service for every 20 minutes during peak hours, replacing its 30-minute peak hour service. Plans call for the route to add an extra bus on Sundays and holidays.
Route 18, which travels between downtown St. Petersburg and downtown Clearwater with stops at Bay Pines and Tyrone Square Mall, also will begin running every 20 minutes instead of 30.
In general, PSTA board member John Bryan said, bus travel has become more appealing - and gas prices have made it more so.
"People have realized groceries are more important than buying gas, and something's got to give," Bryan said.
[Last modified September 21, 2005, 00:24:18]
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