Route 206 gets larger
bus to handle ridership boom
RIVERSIDE,
CA — (May, 9, 2007) — A burst
in ridership on one of the Riverside
Transit Agency’s (RTA) busiest
routes has prompted the Agency
to beef up service on Route 206,
bringing relief to passengers
travelling between Temecula and
Corona.
Ridership
on the CommuterLink route has
nearly doubled since this time
last year, causing overcrowding
aboard some afternoon buses that
depart the Corona Metrolink station.
Customers aboard the express buses
say rising gas prices have prompted
them to ride the buses which travel
along Interstate 15 and serve
the cities of Temecula, Murrieta,
Lake Elsinore and Corona.
In
order to meet the growing demand
for seats, RTA has replaced a
27-seat vehicle with a larger,
40-seat bus. The larger vehicle,
now in service, will help serve
commuters arriving to the Corona
Metrolink station on the 5:22
p.m. train, Number 706 from downtown
Los Angeles. Last year, RTA took
similar steps to meet ridership
demands by adding new bus to the
route.
RTA’s
regular schedule will continue
to provide bus transportation
to passengers arriving on other
trains. Passengers with Metrolink
passes or tickets ride CommuterLink
buses for free.
Monthly
ridership on Route 206 has grown
to 2,112 passengers, which is
a 97 percent increase from this
time last year. At the same time,
the average price for a gallon
of gas has climbed to $3.48 from
$3.29 a month ago, according
to
the Automobile Club of Southern
California.
“The
growing number of passengers on
Route 206 is a good sign that
more commuters are trading their
car keys for an RTA bus pass,”
said RTA Chairman Frank Hall.
“High gas prices or not, RTA
remains
committed to providing an attractive
alternative to the automobile.”
RTA’s
CommuterLink routes offer express
service to destinations in San
Diego County, Riverside, Corona
and Montclair. Passengers pay
$2.25 each way, or they can save
money by using 31-Day or 7-Day
passes, which cost $43 and $12,
respectively.
The
Riverside Transit Agency provides
public transportation for Western
Riverside County, operating 39
fixed routes, 5 commuter routes
and 15 demand response services.
RTA’s service area spans 2,500
square miles, the second-largest
in the nation. For bus route and
schedule information contact RTA
at (800) 800-7821 or log on to
our Web site at www.RiversideTransit.com. |
