ROANOKE, Va. – With gas prices climbing, more Roanoke Valley residents are turning to public transit — and Valley Metro says the numbers back it up.
Valley Metro General Manager Kevin Price says ridership is up 7% over the last 90 days, a trend he attributes directly to rising fuel costs.
“As gas prices continue to increase, Valley Metro will always be there and we encourage you to take advantage of that,” Price said. “As of today, our ridership is up 7 percent over the last 90 days.”
What riders are experiencing
A first-hand look at the system revealed just how much planning a daily commute by bus can require. A single delay can turn a short trip into a much longer one — something riders experience regularly. Some routes run only once per hour, meaning a missed bus can mean a 60-minute wait for the next one…