Boston-area Rail Ridership Rises as Gas Prices Soar

[marmar]

from the Lowell Sun:



Rail ridership rises as gas prices soar
By Michael Lafleur, [e-mail]
Article Last Updated: 05/11/2008 06:41:17 AM EDT


LOWELL -- Last fall, Chaunice Peebles drove from her Mill City home to classes at Boston University.

Gasoline alone cost her $100 a week.

Peebles changed her travel plans in January, taking the commuter rail train from the Gallagher Intermodal Terminal into Boston's North Station. From there, she changes to the MBTA's Green Line, traveling at least 10 stops to get to the campus.

The rail-bus pass costs her $250 a month, saving her $150, which the 19-year-old advertising and marketing student said makes her willing to accept the inconvenience.

"It's a big difference," Peebles said. "It takes more time through the train, but it's definitely worth the money that I'm saving."

Officials with the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority say price-conscious commuters are driving a nearly 5 percent increase in the average number of weekday bus and commuter-rail users. In March 2007, 1.23 million people rode the MBTA; in March 2008, the count was 1.29 million.

MBTA General Manager Daniel Grabauskas said the MBTA is heading for record-breaking ridership numbers this year. That follows a healthy 2007, when the MBTA recorded the second-most annual passenger trips since 1980.

The LRTA and Fitchburg-based Montachusett Regional Transit Authority (known as the MART) both reported increasing numbers of passengers as well.

LRTA Administrator James Scanlan said his system saw about 32,000 more bus passengers last month than in April 2007, a 13 percent


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