According to the American Public Transit Association (APTA), ridership in 2007 was the highest for 50 years. Use rose 2.1% above 2006 levels and 32% above 1995 levels – a rate of increase twice that of the population as a whole. It also reflects a higher rate of increase than there was for vehicle miles travelled on highways.
The biggest gains were in rail ridership, with significantly lower increases in bus use, except in relatively small communities. This might reflect the transit choices made by planners, or the preference many people have for trains rather than buses.
Lots of statistics can be accessed through the APTA webpage. Some Canadian data is also available. Calgary and Edmonton both saw use of all kinds of transit increase by more than 10% between 2006 and 2007.
As gas heads north of $10 a gallon with any new oil shock (well, other than peak oil, which is already in media res….), train ridership and all other forms of mass transit will go through the roof.
The US markets shot up today, as Bernanke’s ill-fated attempt to staunch the tide of margin calls, credit defaults, insolvency and general panic convinced some sheep that all would be well.
All won’t be well. But some people want to play that game till the very end, the one that is poisoning society and the future.
Interesting times ahead, indeed.
Blocky and unrelated to anything:
Here is a video that shows why Vancouver is awesome. I have hiked beyond this point, starting and ending at expensive houses.
Another Crown Mountain video
The Problem with Air Breaks (or, “Why All Buses must become Hybrids”)
Statscan public transit spin is out of control
NEIL REYNOLDS
Globe and Mail Update
May 28, 2008 at 6:00 AM EDT
Public transit is making progress of a kind in Canada – though it’s not always visible.
In its report called Commuting Patterns, Statistics Canada noted last year that the percentage of Canadians who drive to work fell to 80.0 per cent in 2006, a decline – wait for it – of 0.7 per cent in the past decade. The car maintains its enduring edge over public transit across the entire country.
Thus, 78.2 per cent of Quebec commuters get to work by car (the lowest level in any of the provinces); 90.7 per cent of Prince Edward Island commuters get to work by car (the highest). In Ontario, it’s 79.2 per cent. In New Brunswick, it’s 89.1 per cent. In Saskatchewan, it’s 86.5 per cent.
Multiple Birds – One Silver BB: A synergistic set of solutions to multiple issues focused on Electrified Railroads
Posted by Prof. Goose on July 15, 2008 – 11:05am