Transit agencies continue to report monthly and annual ridership gains.

In St. Louis, Metro’s ridership increased last month because a key section of Interstate 64 was shut down as part of a year-long construction project. The agency’s average weekday light-rail and bus ridership totaled 188,965, up 10 percent compared with January 2006’s average. Monthly ridership rose 9 percent to 4.7 million.

Meanwhile, the Twin Cities’ Metro Transit posted ridership of 77 million in 2007, a 4.7 percent increase compared with 2006’s total. Light-rail ridership rose 1.5 percent. The agency attributes the gains in part to improved reliability. In 2007, the Hiawatha light-rail service recorded on-time performance of 97 percent.