Transportation experts who have pushed mass transit since the 1970s are getting their wish as soaring gas prices persuade Americans to abandon their cars for buses and trains in record numbers. But as the adage says, be careful what you wish for.Mass transit ridership is at its highest point in 50 years, according to research by the American Public Transportation Association. For many riders, it just got too expensive to drive.
“I do it to save gas whenever I can,” said Cody Nunez, a student at Pasco High School in Kennewick, Wash. “I don’t want to be paying $50 every week.”
Shevette Porter of Palm Beach County, Fla., recently bought a bus pass for the local Tri-Rail network. Ridership for the system in March was up 20 percent over March 2007; in April it was up another 28 percent year over year.
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