Yep, folks sure love their cars in Phoenix. The freeway construction never seems to stop, no matter how high the smog rises. And the congestion never seems to stop, either.

But an interesting thing is happening in our sprawling metropolis to the north. People with cars are choosing to take the bus instead.

According to an article in yesterday’s East Valley Tribune, ridership on the Valley Metro bus system has increased by more than 40% since voters overwhelmingly approved a half-cent sales tax to fund public transit improvements in March 2000. This is in advance of the Light Rail system they are now building and which will be operational by 2008.

The most dramatic ridership increases come from their Rapid line, also known as Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), which whooshes former car commuters from park-n-ride lots across town in a comfortable tour-bus-style vehicle, saving time and money. Last year alone, rising gas prices spurred an increase in Rapid ridership of 23%.

How about suggesting that we include BRT in our RTA transportation plan. If they can do it in Phoenix…

This entry was posted on Thursday, July 21st, 2005 at 11:13 am and is filed under Economic Development, Protecting the Environment, Public Health, Transportation. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.