Apr 18 2008
Light Rail Ridership Exceeds Expectations
Ridership on Charlotte Area Transit has hit the highest level in fifty years.
Transit Keith Parker says the figures from February show CATS carried more than two-million passengers… a total that has not been seen since the transit system was a privately-run entity. And compared to February of ‘07, Parker says ridership was up 35-percent.
He says the light rail weekday service carries more than 13-thousand riders a day, which exceeds projections by 40-percent. Parker says the train has already carried it’s one-millionth customer.
For all the criticism of the light rail project, it’s taken off far better than even the proponents thought it would. 40% above projection is very impressive and it’s not surprising either. Oil is hitting $116 a barrel today. Even in South Carolina which has some of the cheapest gas in the country, we are nearing $3.30 per gallon of gas. I started taking the light rail back in February for this reason and to avoid forking over $100 a month for an uptown parking lease.
