Americans Getting on Board With Public Transportation

[marmar]

via MassTransitMag:



Americans Getting on Board With Public Transportation


Transportation Business Journal



Rather than wait for an electric car or better biofuels, millions of Americans are saving money and time by switching to public transportation.

According to a new nationwide survey commissioned by the HNTB Companies, more than 24 million Americans -- 11 percent of the adult population -- are using buses, light rail, commuter rail and other forms of public transportation more than they did last year. An even greater percentage of survey respondents, 16 percent, said they expect their ridership to increase in the coming year.

"As today's Americans face increasing demands on their time and money, riding public transit is shifting from something they should do, like eating their vegetables, to something they want to do," said Peter Gertler, vice president and national director of public transit services for HNTB Corporation.

Nearly one in three Americans (32 percent) said their biggest motivator to choose public transportation over driving would be high gas prices. While conventional wisdom holds Americans would find it frustrating to give up the convenience of a car, the survey found the second most popular reason someone would choose public transportation over driving is more convenience (14 percent). Avoiding traffic (5 percent) was a distant third, followed by concern for the environment (4 percent). .......(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.masstransitmag.com/web/online/Top-Transit-News/Americans-Getting-on-Board-With-Public-Transportation/3$7224

[nxylas]

1. I bet even more would switch...

...if there were better public transportation outside the mega-cities.