On Friday, I noted that the increase in gas prices was going to have a long-term affect on how people commute, use automobiles, choose places to live, work and shop. The New York Times reported yesterday that at least the affects are being seen in increased use in public transportation throughout the country.
The article also noted that on top of high gas prices, the portability of laptop computers making commuting time productive time, increased traffic congestion and increased costs in parking are also leading to the surge in public transit use.
New York and Boston, cities that have always had heavy use of public transit, have seen transit usage go up by over 5% so far this year -- including 10-15% increases in traditionally car-commuter areas like Long Island.
Denver has seen transit use go up 8% in the first 4 months of this year. Charlotte (which added a light rail line in the past year) has seen commuter traffic go up by 34% over a year ago. Some lines in San Francisco have seen 9-10% increases. Miami and Ft. Lauderdale are also seeing increases.
Locally, the successes of the K-10 Connector route connecting Lawrence to Johnson County is also being praised, with ridership doubling over the past year, even though some riders express discontent over connecting routes once they arrive in Johanson County.
Also of note, it appears that bike sales also appear to be going up.
Kansas City as a major midwestern hub must follow the trends in demand of a changing generation of people and economic conditions (as well as desire for "green" solutions) in order to maintain its position as a major city. The trends of demand by people across the country is that they are moving away from their cars and toward public transit. We must work quickly to upgrade these for all members of our community.
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