Here are the Charlotte Area Transit System's February ridership numbers:
The Lynx Blue Line averaged 14,246 trips on weekdays, and 13,160 on Saturdays. Sunday was a laggard at 8,805.
February numbers were up significantly from January, and a big factor was the nearly weeklong CIAA tournament uptown.
CATS said ridership during the CIAA Tournament, from Monday, February 25 to Saturday, March 1, was 80,000 trips.
Ridership during the ACC Tournament - which ran Thursday-Sunday - was 90,000, according to CATS.
For CATS, the best news is in the bus ridership, which is influenced by high gas prices but not special events. Regional express bus ridership was up nearly 22 percent, and local bus service was up just under 9 percent.
update: February had 29 days this year, which bumps up year-over-year bus comparisons. CATS said all bus service increased just under 9 percent compared with February 2007, and 4.5 percent when the Leap Day is removed.
Monday, March 17, 2008
Ridership up. CATS can thank the CIAA and high gas prices.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
4 comments:
"For CATS, the best news is in the bus ridership, which is influenced by high gas prices but not special events. Regional express bus ridership was up nearly 22 percent, and local bus service was up just under 9 percent."
So is this finally an admission from the Observer that we're building trains for their coolness in support of Uptown special events? Rather than spending the money on buses which actually help more local people? I will say that my express bus it definitely more crowded on average. I sure hope there's money left when they need to add more buses to it. You know, being a local taxpayer and all, I should be able to expect that.
In reference to "rick"...the trains were not just for special uptown events. Many local people ride the trains to and from work, on most days the trains are packed (I know because I ride LYNX to work). You made a very general statement, that spending money on buses would help more local people than spending it on a train? I don't know if that is true...
On another note, I HATE it when there are special events uptown. I could barely find standing room on Friday at 4 pm to get home. I had to wait for a couple trains to go by, because each one was so full there wasn't room for anyone else to even cram in. The trains are crowded enough just on a regular working day, forget the throngs of people uptown to watch the games.
I would be interested to know how parking has freed up uptown, or if prices have risen. I know many people who have cancelled their monthly parking uptown in favor of riding the LYNX.
Ridden LYNX since day ONE; I've paid to park once since November and it was $2.25 then. Now it's $3.25/day (Church & Morehead).
Most lots I see are $8 or more. Just pure GREED.
Post a Comment