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| The Basics | $3 gas has mass transit hopping
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Cash-strapped commuters are swapping cars for buses and trains and finding modern transit systems that offer conveniences like wireless Internet access.
By Rick VanderKnyff
If $3 gas is enough to finally get you out of your car, you're not alone.
Ridership across the country was on the rise even before hurricanes Katrina and Rita spiked pump prices over $3 a gallon. Cities from Austin, Texas, to Washington, D.C., are reporting double-digit increases in ridership on their buses and light-rail systems, according to the American Public Transportation Association.
"What's going on in small and large cities from coast to coast is that ridership is jumping, in light of the high gas prices," said Virginia Miller, with the APTA in Washington, D.C.
Transit officials in Knoxville, Tenn., reported last week that September ridership was up 15% over last year, with some express routes up more than 100%. While that has added some strains to the system -- particularly for parking near transit centers -- officials are more than pleased.
"While we know that fuel costs have been a burden to many -- ourselves included -- we think that we have shown our system to be a great option to driving alone every day," Mark Hairr, general manager of Knoxville Area Transit, said in a statement.
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Morgan Lyons, spokesman for Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART), said that light-rail ridership was up 18% in the first two weeks of September over the same period last year, while bus ridership was up 11%.
"With gas prices going up, and up dramatically, that's when people started turning to transit," he said. Much of the growth is fueled by new riders, he said. Traffic to DART's online trip planner jumped more than 50% when prices in the Dallas area jumped to $2.65 in mid-August, and jumped another 37% when Katrina hit and gas spiked again.
"It's sensible to infer that most people visiting the online planner are new riders," said Lyons, who noted that more than 70% of DART's riders are commuting to work -- and already know their routes.
Giving buses a second look
Fuel prices are leading some drivers to examine their old prejudices about public transportation. "I think some people out there have this idea of a bus with dirty exhaust that's never on time," Miller of APTA said. "They'll be pleasantly surprised. It's a 21st century industry."
In addition to expanded bus and rail services in many cities, some of the technological innovations can include on-board wireless Internet -- along with buses that run on new hybrid technologies or compressed gas. Los Angeles County has express buses that can extend a green light for up to 20 seconds; they are also readying a new bus-only route on an abandoned railroad right-of-way with rail-style platform stations.
"It's like a train on rubber wheels," said Marc Littman, spokesman for L.A. County Metro.
Tiffany Lee-Youngren has started riding a free employer-provided shuttle bus from her home in San Diego's Hillcrest neighborhood to La Jolla's University of California, San Diego since starting a new job there recently. While the ride has been "extremely crowded" at times, it is worth it.
"The price of gas has definitely influenced my decision," Lee-Youngren said. "I estimate that I save about $5 a day" between gas and parking.
Her fellow riders and "mostly poor students trying to save money," she said, although there are also faculty and staff aboard. "It seems like there's no stigma attached."
Why people ride
Many commuters, of course, take public transit because they don't have other means of getting around -- as Lee-Youngren did a few years ago, when she first got out of the Peace Corps. Some aim to make better use of their commuting time, escape the stress of traffic or help the environment.
But saving money, especially in these days of $3 gas, is a main motivation for many.
A day pass in L.A. County costs $3, the price of a gallon of gas. Typically, a monthly bus pass costs around $50, less than it costs to fill up many tanks.
It's not just the gas, of course. Most cost calculations for car ownership factor in everything from maintenance and tires to depreciation, insurance, finance charges and taxes.
"If the average commuter, driving 30 miles per day, switches to public transportation, carpool or vanpool, they save about $5,400 a year," according to Marc Littman of L.A. County Metro. Results will vary widely, of course, depending on your car and how far you drive. To estimate your own driving costs, check this publication from the AAA.
Probably, though, youll be leaving your car in the garage, so those ownership expenses continue even if your operating costs are zero.
Why people don't ride
Littman said most people who are considering public transportation have three main questions.
Is it fast? Light rail can be faster than clogged freeways in some cities, but in most cases public transit will take longer than driving your own car. Advocates say, though, that you can make better use of your commuting time -- reading, socializing, dozing or, if you must, working.
Is it convenient? Transit systems in the last 20 years have been working to make commuting easier and faster -- more routes, bigger and more comfortable buses, more light rail. People do worry about riding the bus to work and then being stuck when an emergency arises, though, Litmann says.
Some cities, including Los Angeles, have made "flex-cars" available -- cars that can be rented at short notice on an hourly basis. Many employers offer emergency rides home for their workers who commute by bus, train, carpool or vanpool.
And what if a late day at the office means you miss your vanpool? L.A. County Metro gives out taxi vouchers as part of its "guaranteed ride home" program.
Is it safe? "They want to know, 'Who am I going to be riding with? Is it going to be riff-raff? Is it going to be safe?'" Littman said. His answer: In most cases, it's safer than walking around your neighborhood. "In a year," he said, "we might have more than 400 million boardings, and the crime rate is way below 1%."
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