With winter well on its way, more people have been turning to Capital Area Transportation Authority, or CATA, buses instead of their cars, bikes and feet, according to CATA officials.
Officials recently reported that record numbers of people are using the system, which includes numerous buses on and off campus, as well as other special services. More than 9 million rides were taken on CATA buses last year, which is the highest in CATA history.
"Students make up about a third of the ridership," CATA Director of Marketing Pat Gilbert said, adding that 3.2 million rides were bused on campus in the 2005 fiscal year.
The fiscal year ran from Oct. 1, 2004 to Sept. 30, 2005.
CATA's ridership is the second-highest in Michigan. Detroit's transportation service is first.
"The fact that we had over 9 million riders in an area of this size says a lot about what we do," said Sandy Draggoo, CATA executive director.
Draggoo said officials expect ridership to keep increasing, but not because of gas prices.
"It has been increasing during the last couple of months and it just kept going," Draggoo said. "We think it is because of our good service. We go where people want us to go and we have good, clean buses."
Prenursing freshman Tiana Callum said catching the bus causes her to be late sometimes.
"I hate it when bus drivers see you running for the bus and they don't stop," Callum said. "I also hate it when the bus is packed because it makes me late for class."
Draggoo said CATA officials believe gas prices are a small part of the jump in ridership but that increase began before the large bump in the prices.
Gilbert said the effects of gas prices are evident everywhere, but CATA's increase in passengers is above average.
"Many transit systems across the country are experiencing growth in ridership," Gilbert said. "CATA's increases are higher than average and started over a year ago."
Gas prices have an impact on whether telecommunication, information studies and media senior Marcus Galloway rides the bus.
"Riding the bus is better than paying these gas prices," Galloway said. "CATA is usually on time and gets me to class on time."
Galloway lives off campus and sometimes has to drive instead of riding the bus.
"Taking the bus is less convenient than driving my car," Galloway said. "I drive on the days I am going to be on campus late. The bus stops running at 10 p.m., and after that I would have to try to find a ride home."
CATA did not do anything new to increase ridership, Draggoo said.
As far as the weather is concerned, Draggoo said CATA does what it can to keep people from having to stand out in the cold.
"We try putting out as many buses as we can to accommodate more riders during bad weather," Draggoo said. "We try to meet demand as much as we can."
Callum said CATA is her only transportation option.
"I don't want to walk, I don't want to bike and I don't have a car," she said.
