photography / Troy Boman Passengers get off the bus at 2400 North in Tooele on Wednesday evening. High gas prices have encouraged more commuters to use public transportation.

by Jamie Belnap

STAFF WRITER

With the recent rise of gas prices at Tooele County pumps, more locals have jumped on public transportation, according to Utah Transit Authority statistics.

UTA reported that from January to April, UTA buses transporting residents both within and outside the county experienced a 14 percent increase in average weekday ridership over numbers from 2007 during the same months -- rising from 2,791 riders to 3,184.

"Our numbers are rising as gas prices are rising," said Carrie Bohnsack-Ware, UTA spokesperson.

In addition, Bohnsack-Ware said the 115 Rideshare vans transporting over 1,000 workers to or from Tooele County are so full that there is a waiting list to get a regular seat.

"Since gas prices have gone up, we've even seen an increase in the size of our waiting list," she said.

Tooele County isn't the only area experiencing a jump in public transportation usage, Bohnsack-Ware said, as nearly every county along the Wasatch Front has experienced similar trends.

"The rate increase is pretty similar across the board," she added.

Bohnsack-Ware said the increase in fuel costs has had an exponential effect on UTA beyond just an increase in ridership.

"With every 10 cents that fuel goes up, it costs us about $610,000," she said. "If we don't do anything at all this year, we will be short by about $5 million. We've made about $2.7 million in cuts to try to cut as many corners as we can without having to up prices for consumers, but a little higher ridership is not enough to offset the huge price of fuel."

A proposed fuel surcharge would tack on an additional 25 cents on most fares fee if approved by UTA trustees next month.

"If gas goes back down to under $3 then the surcharge will be gone altogether," Bohnsack-Ware said.

According to utahgasprices.com, the state has seen a steady increase in gas prices since mid-February when prices were approximately $2.95 per gallon. Prices are now at an all-time high with some stations advertising unleaded gas at over $3.55 per gallon.

"It is a better price to ride public transportation instead of dealing with the maintenance, depreciation, insurance costs, and gas prices associated with driving a car," Bohnsack-Ware said.

jamieb@tooeletranscript.com