Rail News: Passenger Rail
Canadian public transit modes post ridership gain in 2011's first half

Canadian public transit ridership increased 4.9 percent in the year’s first half compared with the same period in 2010, the Canadian Urban Transit Association (CUTA) reported yesterday.

More than 45 million additional public transit trips were taken during the January-through-June period, “a trend that builds on the growth of previous decades,” CUTA officials said in a prepared statement.

CUTA officials attributed the ridership growth to recent improvements in transit service.

“It demonstrates clearly that an increasing number of Canadians want to use transit as their preferred travel choice, but only with a steady continuation of transit investment will future ridership demands be met,” said CUTA Chairman John King.