Ridership Continues Significant Upward Climb on Train and Regional Buses

Music City Star sets record with 26,989 passenger trips taken in June

July 18, 2011 — Ridership on the Regional Transportation Authority’s (RTA) Music City Star and regional bus routes just keeps on growing.

For the third time this year, the Music City Star set a single-month record for ridership with 26,989 passenger trips taken in June. In June, Music City Star ridership was up 53 percent compared to June 2010. RTA’s regional bus routes also experienced a significant increase in June, up 30 percent compared to ridership on the same routes a year ago.

Ridership on all RTA services increased 42 percent in June 2011 compared to June 2010. For the year, Music City Star ridership is up 40 percent and ridership on RTA regional bus routes is up 38 percent.

“We are very pleased more people are riding the Music City Star and RTA’s other regional services,” RTA Board Chair Jo Ann Graves said. “Middle Tennesseans realize how affordable the service is and that it’s easy to use. Of course, this creates a greater demand to grow our transportation network and the board and staff are working very hard on this.”

Train ridership has been on the rise in 2011 prior gas prices spiking earlier this year and despite 2010 being a record year for ridership on the Star. A previous record of 25,321 passenger trips were taken in March, eclipsing the record of 20,465 set one month earlier in February.