Standing Room Only, If At All: High Gas Prices Turn Commuters to Vanpools

June 25, 2008 - In metro Atlanta and Douglas County, skyrocketing gasoline prices are turning commuters to alternative transportation, including vanpools and commuter buses. Both Rideshare and Georgia Regional Transportation Authority (GRTA) have seen great boosts in business as a result of the economic change, with waiting lists for vans that were once below capacity and buses with standing room only. As a result, plans for new routes and transportation centers are in production.
At the beginning of the year, Rideshare had 42 vanpool routes. The current number is 53, with six new routes being coordinated. Also since the beginning of the year, approximately 175 more commuters are using Rideshare daily, increasing the total number of daily riders to an average of 550. While the commuters who have already decided to use Rideshare sign up on waiting lists for certain vanpools, those who are unsure about "mass transit" are expressing their interest: inquiries regarding Rideshare options have doubled in a number of months.
GRTA has experienced a similar phenomenon. The buses transport weekday commuters from Douglasville to various destinations in downtown and midtown Atlanta, and some routes have standing room only. The transportation center parking lot is nearly full each day, and new park and ride lots are in the works. This fall, construction will begin on a lot near the intersection of Stewart Parkway and Douglas Boulevard in Douglasville.