People intent on saving money on their daily commute line up to board a Sun Tran bus Downtown at the Ronstadt Transit Center on Tuesday.

Benjie Sanders / Arizona Daily Star

Other articles by Andrea Kelly:

County hopes to buy, save Hohokam site New team to run Rio Nuevo projects Ghost Ranch project still alive Recent fights at state prison could cost county Developers evicting Rialto Foundation Road runner : I-10 work going well, traffic tie-ups aside Road runner : Fewer deaths tied to dip in rural driving RTA: Don't blame us for water feeRoad runner: Dump the Pump encourages leaving car at home for a dayRoadrunner: Is Tucson ready for Dump the Pump Day?

Trades/Construction
RANCHO RESORT
MAINTANANCE POSITION Administrative & Professional
Jorgensen Brooks Group
Counselor Construction
West-Press
Printing Health Care
CENTRAL ARIZONA COLLEGE
DIRECTOR OF HEALTH INFORMATION MANAGEMENT Administrative & Professional
Tucson Urban League
CEO/President Sales and Marketing
Everready Glass
Sales Reps Health Care
Sierra Tucson
Eating Disorders Program Coordinator

Despite more than a $1.50-a-gallon drop in gas prices in the last six months, drivers have continued flocking to Sun Tran every month this year, propelling ridership numbers to record levels in October.

This October, 18 percent more people rode Sun Tran than in October 2007. Earlier this year, big jumps of year-over-year ridership numbers were topping out in the 13 percent range.

For the first time, Sun Tran provided more than 2 million passenger trips in one month, said Michele Joseph, spokeswoman for Sun Tran.

In late October, gas prices were dropping by up to 20 cents a gallon each week, yet Sun Tran continued attracting more riders than in the months gas was nearly $4 a gallon.

Part of it could be the economy. As gas prices have fallen, not many other prices that increased along with fuel have dropped, such as groceries and airline tickets, Joseph said.

Also, once people make the switch to the bus, they tend to stick around, she said.

"In 2005 when gas prices rose, then fell, we held on to our ridership" even after prices went down, Joseph said.

Sun Tran rider Heather Martinez is one of the people who dumped her car for commuting this year, she said.

"I have a Ford Explorer and I was spending $40 to $50 a week on gas. Now I spend $28 a month on a bus pass," she said. Even though gas prices have fallen, she still saves money riding the bus because she pays less for car insurance.

"I've been taking the bus now for about a month and a half and I just like how much money I'm saving," she said. Though riding the bus can take longer than driving, Martinez said she enjoys using the extra time each day to read. Martinez said she didn't have as much time for reading when she drove.

Augustine Estudillo parked his car about three months ago because it got too expensive. He's hoping gas prices stay low so he can afford car insurance again, because driving is more convenient than taking the bus.

"Gas prices did have a big influence on why I ride the bus," he said. "But right now, gas is so low I'm thinking about getting back in my car."

He was waiting for a bus Tuesday afternoon with Gene Guerrero, who sold his car within the last year when gas prices were rising.

"The bus is cheaper even when gas is cheap," Guerrero said.

Like Martinez, he said the $28 monthly pass on Sun Tran beats $60 per tankful.

In addition to the high cost of insurance, gas and maintenance for a car, Guerrero was ready to sell his car when people started siphoning his gas and stealing his license plate as costs went up within the past year, he said.

So far this fiscal year, Sun Tran ridership has remained higher than the same time last year, Joseph said.

Ridership grew about 8 percent through Sun Tran's fiscal year, ending June 30, 2008.

But from July 1 through October, ridership increased considerably with 18 percent more people taking the bus than in the same period last year.

Gasoline demand statewide usually goes up each year, but it went down this September, said Michelle Donati, spokeswoman for AAA Arizona.

Figures from the Arizona Department of Weights and Measures show a 2.3 percent increase in the total number of gallons of gas used in Arizona in September 2007 compared with September 2006. But in September 2008, demand went down by about 4.7 percent, state figures show. The decrease means Arizonans used even less fuel in September 2008 than in September 2006.

AAA also gets information from the federal Department of Energy, and though gasoline demand has gone up each of the past few weeks, it's still lower than the demand a year ago, Donati said.

Like statewide fuel demand, Americans usually use more fuel each year, so this decrease is notable, she said.

On StarNet: To see more transportation news and stories at Andrea Kelly's blog, visit go.azstarnet.com/gridlocked today