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Tri-Rail passenger increase |
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Sunday, 14 September 2008 |
Tri-Rail, the commuter railway that runs throughout Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties, had the distinction of being the third fastest growing commuter railroad in the U.S. during the quarter, April to June, according to a report released by the American Public Transportation Association on Tuesday.
Passengers riding Tri-Rail was up 28.8 percent compared to the same period last year, and compared to 4.9 percent for all commuter rail systems nationally. The increase in passengers on Tri-rail is indicative of people using the railway as an alternative for commuting by motor vehicles, due to high gas prices.
The sharp increase should also indicate to the budget officers in the state and in the three counties to reconsider increasing funding for the railway. Sufficient funding has been a constant challenge for the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority, the company that operates Tri-Rail, and without any indication of increase by the three counties or a dedicated source of funding from the state for operating the railway, there was some speculation that the operators were considering cutting trains and reducing the railway’s operation schedule. Hopefully, the new data will indicate the significance of the railway to the commuters of the region, and the funding challenge will be overcome.
The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) said Americans took 140 million more trips on public transportation than last year for the same time period, when the highest number of trips in 50 years was recorded.
Passengers on all modes of mass transit - buses and trains - rose by 5.2 percent in the second quarter. In contrast, the Federal Highway Administration reported that the vehicle miles traveled on the nation's roads declined by 3.3 percent. This is another indication that commuters are driving less and switching instead to public transportation.
The president for the APTA, William W. Millar may have made a strong case for dedicated funding by the state of Florida for Tri-Rail when in a press release he stated, "This surge in ridership underlines the urgent need for increased investment in public transportation from state, local and federal governments."
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