Report: Mass Transit Sets National Record

A report issued March 9 by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), shows most people are flocking to buses and other forms of public conveyances despite a worsening economy.

Or maybe because of it.

Americans took a record 10.7 billion trips on public transportation in 2008, the highest level of ridership in 52 years, the report said.

That's a 4.0 percent increase over the number of trips taken in 2007.

At the same time, the number of vehicle miles traveled on the nation's roads declined 3.6 percent in 2008, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.

This latest report comes one week after county commissioners listened to various suggestions to better market THE Bus, Hernando County's public transit system.

Sine its debut in 2002, the service has been bleeding money and has been perilously close to being axed several times by county commissioners and others who cite the low ridership numbers - just less than 1 percent.

"I think that's exciting," Community Relations Director Brenda Frazier said of the report.

Frazier, part of the community team that is working on the marketing of THE Bus, said Hernando County may not be seeing the percentage growth of other parts of the nation.

However, as the economy worsens and gas prices get higher, more people are expected to use public transportation, she said.

The results of a Florida Department of Transportation assessment of bus service in Hernando County will be presented at the April 7 budget and finance committee meeting, Frazier said.

Planning Director Ron Pianta said the county is looking at ways to improve The Bus system and make it more efficient.

"At the same time, we want to identify what the market is and who we should be serving," Pianta said.

APTA President William Millar is urging local and state governments to increase their investment in public transportation, a plea echoed by the Tampa Bay Partnership and the Tampa Bay Area Regional Transportation Authority (TBARTA).

"Given our current economic condition, people are looking for ways to save money and taking public transportation offers a substantial savings," Millar said.

TBARTA Executive Director Robert Clifford recently told commissioners the community must start thinking regionally and create transportation alternatives for commuters, who are already spending 33 percent of their income annually on transportation-related costs.