Sarasota/Bradenton Transit Thread

[HARTride 2012]

More people taking the bus in Manatee County
Monday, June 30, 2008

MANATEE COUTY (Bay News 9) -- As gas prices continue to rise, so does the number of people taking the bus in Manatee County.

And while riding a bus may take longer to get to work or any other destination, it is much cheaper than driving. It costs only $1.25 to ride Manatee County Area Transit buses. A monthly pass costs $30.

Manatee County Area Transit says their numbers are up almost 16 percent from 2007.

Bus drivers, such as Tammy Dodd, say from county workers to children going to the beach, just about everyone is trying to catch a ride.

"In the mornings we have standing room only, people going to work -- a lot of the busses are standing room only," Dodd said.

Dodd says she noticed business picking up about six months ago. She says she expects the trend to continue as long as gas prices continue to go up.

Bus leaders say if they ran their buses more often, they'd probably have even more riders.

The American Public Transportation Association says the number of people taking public transportation is up 3 percent.

Manatee County residents can catch the bus from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day except Sunday.


http://www.baynews9.com/content/36/2...Manatee+County