More People Getting Onboard

HART's Route 2 is the busiest in the system

HART's ridership numbers for August are in, and thanks to you, the success story continues.

Last month, passengers took a total of 1,083,103 rides on HART buses, vanpools and paratransit vehicles. With a growth rate of 11.2% over August of 2009, people really are getting onboard.

Local service led the way with an increase of nearly 12% in rides from this time last year. Route 2 (Nebraska Avenue), the busiest single route in the system, carried more than 101,000 rides alone.

Paratransit service, which is specially designed for people with disabilities, is up more than 23% over August 2009.

Another interesting category of ridership you may not hear much about is bicycle boardings. The numbers for the past month show more people riding their bikes to the bus stop, with these boardings going up 8% since last August. Remember, every HART bus has a bike rack that can hold two bikes - so you can always use pedal power for part of your ride.

When you average it all out, that means about 42,000 rides on HART services every weekday.

The monthly totals put our year-to-date ridership at almost 11.3 million, compared to about 10.7 million at the same point in 2009. With just under a month to go in our fiscal year (it ends September 30), HART is looking to pass the 12-million mark for 2010.

So join the movement and hop aboard! Who knows - maybe you'll be the one who puts us over the top!

Labor Day Service Reminder
We reported this on Monday, but it bears repeating. HART will operate on a Saturday service schedule for the Labor Day holiday on Monday, September 7. Enjoy your holiday weekend, and if you get a chance, be sure to check back here for a special Labor Day message.