Amtrak and NJ Transit both see record riderships

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

Amtrak is able to report it carried 25.8 million passengers in the last fiscal year — up 1.5 million from the year before. Ticket revenue rose 11 percent. Trains on the Northeast Corridor and other popular corridors are increasingly sold out.

Source: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/editor...ok/5380565.html

Amtrak is chugging toward its fifth-straight record year for ridership nationwide, helped by high gasoline prices and congested highways and airports that seem to have encouraged people to keep their vehicles parked.

Source: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/T/TRA...EMPLATE=DEFAULT

More customers than ever made NJ TRANSIT their transportation choice to get to employment, educational and recreational destinations during the first quarter of Fiscal Year 2008, the three-month period ending September 30, 2007. System-wide, ridership increased to 64.4 million trips, 3.2 percent over the same period last year.

...

Rail ridership increased by 5.4 percent compared to the first quarter of FY 07, with rail customers taking an average of 275,850 trips each weekday.

...

Customers took five million trips on the three light rail lines – Hudson-Bergen Light Rail, Newark Light Rail and River LINE– during the quarter, a 13.5 percent increase over last year. Customers took an average of 65,150 trips per weekday and 61,500 per weekend.

Source: http://www.njtransit.com/tm/tm_servlet.srv...RELEASE_ID=2386

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

cool

[mawilson 2,133]

If you work in the city, NJT beats GWB and Lincoln/Holland Tunnels....no big surprise there.

[eric&gen 0]

wow

[Ban Hammer 13,364]

not surprising given the price of gasoline.

[Kazan' Tiger 1]

I'd really like to see rail travel increase. It is a great way to go.

[Dr. Obvious 49]

That is pretty sweet.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

not surprising given the price of gasoline.

And tolls and parking and road congestion. As long as we're talking NJ / NYC...

[Dr. A ♥ O 203]

I'd say any form of mass transit is making a come back with gas prices squeezing the American pockets at $3.50+ a gallon. In my region they've shown increased ridership in the Bus System, as well as bicycles usage, and more car pools. There is even talk of building a mono-rail type system (like in San Jose) to connect Boise with outlying cities such as Meridian, Nampa, Caldwell. When I lived in Scotland I really enjoyed the efficiency of the rail system there. It was a twenty minute rail ride from from my flat in Aberdour to the bigger city of Edinburgh and at the time cost around $2-3 USD.

Edited December 23, 2007 by OlivianWaleed

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

not surprising given the price of gasoline.

And tolls and parking and road congestion. As long as we're talking NJ / NYC...

The increases in Amtrak ridership extend well beyond that region.

[mawilson 2,133]

not surprising given the price of gasoline.

Gasoline is cheap. Amtrak and NJTransit aren't.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

not surprising given the price of gasoline.

And tolls and parking and road congestion. As long as we're talking NJ / NYC...

The increases in Amtrak ridership extend well beyond that region.

As do high gas prices, congested roads, expensive and/or inconvenient parking and tolls.

[eric&gen 0]

Flying is more fun than sitting in a boring train at least you have a nice view above 30,000 feet.

[Jigi 0]

hi,

I love travelling by the rail and transit systems.. I think its better than maintaining a car, gas costs, maintainence and parking issues... and the most important thing is that you have to drive.... When you are in a train ur free to relax, go for a nap, work on your laptop and just relax...and its cheaper... When i start working i would see it that i am close to the rail or tranist network where i can go walk .. catch a train go to work and be back home....

Jigi

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

When you are in a train ur free to relax, go for a nap, work on your laptop and just relax...

I've seen the NYC subways during rush hour. You ain't doing none of that in there.