COLORADO SPRINGS — Many cities are seeing a decline in public transit use, but Mountain Metropolitan Transit in Colorado Springs says ridership is up 5% compared to a year ago.
New routes, along with sidewalk and ramp improvements, are creating better access for riders, possibly leading to the bump in use.
The new Saturday evening service is also proving to be popular.
Overall, MMT says it's a sign of a healthy city.
"Transit is one of the things that makes cities work, and so we know that when we make improvements to our system, that our riders are going to appreciate it, and they're also going to respond with ridership," said MMT Director Craig Blewitt.
Another improvement riders are hoping for is increased express service to popular areas.
MMT says they'll look into that for future improvements.
Mountain Metro Transit was named was named Large Community Transit Agency of the Year by the Colorado Association of Transit Agencies for improving accessibility to bus stops.
Nationwide, public transportation organizations saw a 1.84% decline from 2018 to 2017. Some possible reasons for that decline are lower gas prices, increased car ownership, increased bicycling and bike sharing, and the expansion of ride-sharing comapnies like Uber and Lyft.
