Subject: Gas shortage boosts Valley bus ridership - AZ Rep. -  Aug. 27, 2003 
Date: Thursday, August 28, 2003 12:37 PM




      Gas shortage boosts Valley bus ridership

      Bob Golfen
      The Arizona Republic
      Aug. 27, 2003 12:00 AM

      Valley bus ridership jumped 14 percent last week during the gas shortage, with thousands of extra passengers climbing on board daily and Valley Metro adding "helper buses" along many routes.

      An average of 155,000 people rode the bus each weekday during August in the Phoenix metropolitan area, but that grew to an estimated 176,700 daily during the first three workdays of last week, according to Valley Metro's preliminary figures.

      For bus rider Susan Baker, who commutes on an express route from Scottsdale to downtown Phoenix, last week's crisis meant a steady dose of standing room only.

      Passengers nearly doubled on the Route 510 express bus, Baker said, starting Aug. 18, when she counted 54 people on board, including 22 strap-hangers. The trend continued throughout the week.

      On Monday, the first day back after shortages eased, but with gas prices still sky-high, she said there were still about 10 additional people. 



      The continued boost in bus riders after the end of the crisis would not be surprising, said Marie Chapple, Valley Metro spokeswoman. 

      "We still have high gas prices and we've had spikes (in ridership) before when we've had rising gas prices," Chapple said. "People do respond when gas prices rise."

      In Phoenix, ridership went from about 125,000 daily the week before the gas shortage to 142,000 during last week, in preliminary figures. She expected final figures to be available at the end of the month.

      There was also a sharp rise in requests for carpool partners, with 561 people registering Aug. 18 and 19 for ride sharing, compared with 83 registrants on the Monday and Tuesday of the previous week.