STA notices slight increase in ridership as gas prices remain high

Added: 2026-06-02

[00:00:00]As gas prices remain stubbornly high, are you considering using public transportation? The Spokane Transit Authority says they are seeing a slight increase in ridership compared to this same time last year. Now, they acknowledge that several factors can impact ridership numbers, things like kids being out of school for break or even different weather events, but they say going back and looking at the data from the start of the war with Iran and the increasing gas prices, they are seeing an increase in ridership of about 2%. Doesn't seem like a lot, but it's a couple hundred extra people a day that are riding the bus more than they were this time last year. I and that again starts to become hopefully a long-term habit.

[00:00:38]>> And they say that 2% is starting to trend up now, so if gas prices remain high, they do anticipate more people using public transportation and they say they encourage people to do so.