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Apr 17, 2011
Sunday Statshot

Sunday Statshot with Nick Chu

Post by nickchu

A quick look at some of the things that make rising gasoline prices work (or not) for public transit:

Skyrocketing gas prices are steadily increasing levels of transit ridership not seen since 2008. Image by Michael Mistretta

Cost of driving in 2008: 71 cents per mile

Cost of driving in 1950: 9 cents per mile

Percentage decrease in gasoline purchased as correlated to a 10% increase in gasoline prices between 2001-2006: <1%

Percentage decrease in gasoline purchased as correlated to a 10% increase in gasoline prices between 1975-1980: ~3.5%

Average cost of gas in US today: $3.47/gallon ($0.92/litre)

Percentage higher than last year: 28%

Number of fewer gallons of gas pumped in April 2011 compared to April 2010: 2.4 million

Overall public transit ridership increase in 2008 due to gas cost spike: 4%

Percent of transit agencies experiencing capacity constraints in 2007-2008 during gas price spike: 85

San Diego Trolley ridership in February, 2010: 2.2 million

In February, 2011: 2.3 million

Transit ridership increase in Santa Clara, California: 7.4%

Cincinnati, Ohio: 10%

Tampa, Florida: 18%

Durham, North Carolina: 21.8%

Estimated additional transit trips with $4/gallon gas prices: 670 million

With $6/gallon gas prices: 2.7 billion

Number of service hours cut (i.e. due to budget cutbacks) from Orange County’s transit service in 2011: 300,000

Light rail ridership elasticity in response to gas prices: 0.27-0.38

Bus ridership elasticity: 0.04

Total savings on gas and other costs if residents in largest 51 US metropolitan areas reduced driving by just 1 mile per day: $29 billion/year

Percentage of Americans without access to public transit: 46

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