Are transit ridership numbers more pomp than substance?
The American Public Transit Association reports that transit ridership climbed to 10.3 billion trips during the first quarter of 2008, the “highest number of trips taken in fifty years.” That represents a 3.3 percent increase overall over the previous year while vehicle miles traveled, a measure of demand for car travel, fell by 2.3 percent, they observe. But what do these statistics mean for US travel more generally? Not much. At best, they reinforce transit’s modern-day role as a niche transportation choice. At worst, they’re a harbinger of transit’s continued long-term decline. Here’s why. First, let’s acknowledge that the increase in ridership is significant. If we convert ridership into passenger miles traveled—a distance-based rather than trip-based measure—a 3.3 percent increase translates into 1.6 billion passenger miles over the course of a year. That’s a lot, particularly given the hurdles faced by transit in a high-end, services-based economy that demands more transportation
