Catching rides
Record gas prices spur Utahns to try mass transit
That price per gallon is about 63 cents higher than prices recorded the same time last year. What's the result? Both in Utah and nationwide, more and more people are turning to mass transit, according to statistics from the American Public Transportation Association.
"History is repeating itself," said Virginia Miller, APTA spokeswoman. "What we saw last year is happening this spring: Ridership continues to climb across the country."
In March, average daily ridership on the Utah Transit Authority's TRAX light-rail system was 58,302. The number decreased to 49,901 in April, but that was still 10,000 more than the same time last year.
UTA's carpool program has also experienced a rise in requests from people wanting to be matched with a car-pool buddy. From March to April, requests rose from 87 to 119. Last year, when gas prices rose in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, requests were up near 500.
"We're trending upward again," UTA spokesman Justin Jones said.
Nationwide, Miller said she has yet to hear of a transit agency where ridership numbers have not increased this spring. "Gas prices have definitely been a part of the reason people are turning to public transportation."
Not really, according to the Utah Department of Transportation. Traffic volumes are tied more directly to the nation's economy and the state's population growth, UDOT spokesman Nile Easton said.
"We see 180,000 cars a day on average on I-15, and then every year we're growing as a state," he said. "Usually that swallows up whatever gain there is from people going to transit, unless we hit a recession."
UDOT statistics show traffic volumes decreased in the 1970s and again around 2001. Congestion now is trending upward, Easton said.
AAA spokeswoman Rolayne Fairclough said one reason gas prices have increased is because refineries have been switching to ethanol. In 2005, Congress passed an Energy Policy Act that required refiners to use 4 billion gallons of ethanol in their product this year.
Ethanol is an alternative fuel generally made from corn and other products. It is said to be cleaner-burning.
Fairclough said she anticipates that once refineries have finished the switch to ethanol, prices should go down. Still, nearly every Western state has seen record gas price increases this month.
In Idaho, gas prices rose 51 cents, AAA said. Montana's average gas price rose 33 cents. Arizona had a 43-cent increase, while Nevada had a 52-cent increase. The average cost of gas in Nevada is now $3.21 a gallon.
With the summer holidays coming up, Fairclough recommends that motorists make sure their vehicles are well-maintained. Car-pooling is also a good idea, she said. Information about state car-pool programs can be found at www.udot.utah.gov or rideuta.com.
E-mail: nwarburton@desnews.com
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