News & Events: Press Releases
July 7, 2008
Trolley Officials Report Highest Monthly Ridership Ever
Extended hours, gas prices and trolley promotions boost mid-year ridership over 200,000
Media Contact: Allison Fogt
850-878-5531 x223
afogt@kidd.com
(Panama City, Fla.) - After the wave of the Dump the Pump initiative, Bay Town Trolley's June ridership came in at 41,206, reflecting a 13 percent increase from June 2007. This is the first time in the trolley's 12 years of operation that the system reported over 40,000 rides in one month.
"We knew that our ridership would be up, especially because of gas prices, but passing 40,000 in one month is just remarkable," said Beth Coulliette, executive director for Bay Town Trolley. "With milestones such as this 2008 is continuing to prove itself as a remarkable year for the trolley."
Thus far, 2008 year-to-date ridership is 202,187, a 7.6 percent increase from 2007. Several factors, including high gas prices and extended hours have served as a catalyst for this momentum. In fact, ridership during the two-hour evening extension has grown every month since the extended service started in March. In June there were 2,973 rides between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m.; that's a 36 percent increase from May's extended service ridership.
"These figures show that people are really taking advantage of the trolley and all of our services, and because of that we are definitely appreciative of the elected officials for enabling us to operate an additional two hours in the evening," said Lee Bragg, Bay Town Trolley's general manager. "With the consistent growth of our ridership, we'll continue to be the, safe, efficient, dependable and most of all economical transportation option for the residents of Bay County."
With gas surpassing the $4 a gallon mark, these numbers reflect that more are choosing the trolley for their everyday commute. Because people are depending on public transportation for their relief from extreme gas prices, trolley representatives are encouraging residents and riders to visit the trolley's Web site and submit their testimonials about their gas price grief.
To learn more about the trolley's newest endeavor, Pier Park Express visit www.pierparkexpress.com.
For the past 12 years Bay Town Trolley has provided public transportation services to Bay County. The system operates Monday through Friday, 6 a.m. - 8 p.m. with the mission of moving riders of Bay County with clean, safe, efficient and dependable transportation while enhancing the quality of life and meeting the growing needs of the community. Visit BayTownTrolley.org for information on routes, fares, Ride On Commuter Services, the Pier Park Express and other news and updates.
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