The Riverside Transit Agency (RTA) has enjoyed a summer of strong ridership, and two consecutive months of increases, thanks partly to a promotion that got an unprecedented number of young riders on the bus.
August boardings totaled 735,000, a three percent increase compared to the same month a year ago. July ridership was also positive with more than 630,000 boardings, an increase of two percent compared to the previous year.
The gains can be attributed to several factors, including gains in youth ridership following a promotional 25 cent fare. During the promotion, which was between June 1 and September 3, RTA buses carried a record 190,000 youth boardings.
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That’s 10 percent higher than the same three-month period last year. Another contributing factor is the rise of RapidLink express service between Corona and Riverside. RapidLink ridership this August was the highest of the year at 13,049 boardings.
Other factors driving the increase strong ridership on CommuterLink Route 200 which serves Disneyland, rising gas prices, good weather, enhanced bus frequency and expanded hours of operation.