STA sets record for monthly ridership

With gas prices nearing $4 a gallon, the Spokane Transit Authority has set a monthly ridership record, carrying nearly 1 million passengers in April.

Last month’s ridership on the agency’s regular bus routes was 975,860. It beat the previous monthly record, set in February, by more than 60,000 riders.

The increase continues a booming trend for STA’s ridership and comes as the agency is asking voters to maintain a three-tenths of 1 percent sales tax in Tuesday’s special election.

Opponents of the proposal generally support the transit agency’s service but criticize the lack of a sunset clause on the tax increase, saying approval of the ballot measure would eliminate a key safeguard against future mismanagement.

Supporters argue a sunset clause would prevent the agency from making long-range plans, and they point to state figures showing STA is the most efficient of the state’s six urban bus systems when comparing the annual operating cost per mile and per hour of service. And the cost per rider on fixed routes in 2006, the latest year for which complete figures were available, was $4.19, which trails only King County. Fares paid by STA riders that year accounted for about 14 percent of the agency’s total revenue.

Ballots must be in the mail by Tuesday to be counted.

Last year, STA gave 9.4 million rides on fixed routes – a 12 percent rise from the year before. The service has experienced increases in rides every month this year compared to the same months in 2007.

Steve Blaska, STA’s operations director, said the system expected a plateau in ridership this year. He said some of the increase in February can be traced to the region’s heavy snowfall. High gas prices also have encouraged more people to take transit.

STA CEO Susan Meyer said ridership also has been aided by the agency’s marketing efforts. STA plans to spend about $801,000 in its communications budget, which includes fare promotions, surveys and advertising. That’s up from about $631,000 in 2006.

Through the start of the year through April, STA has given more than 3.7 million rides. That’s a 15 percent increase compared to the same period last year. The fixed-route system has averaged more than 37,000 riders each weekday so far in 2008.

Blaska said ridership in May is one of the two highest months historically and so far, May numbers are running about 15 percent more than last May. If the trend continues, STA could have its first million-rider month.

“We might have a shot at it,” Blaska said.