Americans Take More Than 10 Billion Trips on Public Transportation for the First Time in Almost Fifty Years
The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) announced that Americans took 10.1 billion trips on local public transportation in 2006 – the first time in 49 years. . . .
Public transit use is up 30 percent since 1995. That is more than double the growth rate of the population (12 percent) and higher than the growth rate for the vehicle miles traveled on our roads (24 percent) during that same period. . . .
Light rail (modern streetcars, trolleys, and heritage trolleys) had the highest percentage increase among all modes, with 5.6 percent increase in 2006. Some light rail systems showed double digit increases in ridership. . . . Ridership on heavy rail posted the second largest increase at 4.1 percent. . . . Commuter rail posted the third largest increase at 3.2 percent. . . . Other modes saw increases in ridership. Demand response (paratransit) ridership increased by 2.9 percent and the transit bus increased by 2.3 percent. . . .
See the full story and ridership data at PublicTransportation.org.