Snow, gas prices boost STA ridership in ‘07

More people are taking the bus.

A lot more.

With more routes, more promotions and increasing gases prices, the Spokane Transit Authority gave a million more rides in 2007 than the year before.

The number of rides taken on STA buses rose by 12 percent last year to more than 9.4 million. That’s up 26 percent since 2003.

STA officials say the trend could be helpful for the organization as it asks voters for a permanent renewal of a three-tenths of 1 percent sales tax in the May 20 special election. The tax, which was approved in 2004, equals 3 cents on a $10 purchase.

Ridership got a bump as gas costs have risen, but even when pump prices declined, the number of those taking the bus remained steady, said STA CEO Susan Meyer.

“Once people ride, they see the value,” Meyer said.

A similar phenomenon appears to be happening in the aftermath of snowstorms that battered Spokane. The number of riders spiked from about 32,000 daily users before the storms to 40,000 in late January and early February, when some folks opted to take the bus rather than take a chance on getting stuck in cars.

Since the roads were cleared, however, the average daily numbers have declined to about 38,000 – still higher than before the storms, Meyer noted.

Gas prices only partly explain last year’s 12 percent increase in ridership. Fuel costs are up nationwide, but Meyer said the average increase in transit ridership across the country was closer to 3 percent.

Meyer said part of the increase can be attributed to new routes and programs, such as one aimed at encouraging Eastern Washington University students to use STA.

Jim Plaster, STA’s finance and administration director, said although ridership is up 12 percent, the money raised through fares and by selling advertising increased only 3 percent. That’s because some promotions included price reductions.

In 2006, STA raised about 16 percent of its revenue from fares, Plaster said. That’s lower than King County’s system but higher than Pierce County’s.

Jennifer Van Vleet has ridden the bus for about five years to her downtown job. She says more business people are learning the benefits of taking the bus.

Besides saving on gas, using the bus saves her from the hassle of parking downtown and allows her to “decompress” after a day at work, Van Vleet said.

“I’d like to see many more people ride the bus,” she said.