Fears that low gas prices and increasing vehicle miles traveled would negatively affect transit ridership might have come true in the first half of the year, according to data provided by the American Public Transportation Association.
Progressive Railroading reports: "While total public transit ridership decreased 0.9 percent during the first six months of 2015 compared with the same period last year, heavy-rail ridership rose 0.5 percent, according to the American Public Transportation Association's (APTA) most recent ridership report."
"A total of nine out of 15 heavy-rail systems reported increases. Cities logging rail ridership increases included San Francisco, up 4.3 percent; Atlanta, up 3.1 percent; and Jersey City, N.J., up 2.1 percent," adds the post.
APTA President and Chief Executive Officer Michael Melaniphy provides a soundbite in the post, speculating that some of the 50 million fewer rides in the first half of 2015 might be because people have returned to driving as gas prices have dropped.
Astute Planetizen readers will recall the debate that followed 2014's report on transit ridership from the APTA, which claimed record levels of transit ridership.
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