People Mover Ridership Sets Record in 2008

Breaking Record Set in 1982

Public Transportation

1/2/2009

People Mover                                                                                             
Paula Kangis, Marketing Manager
KangisPJ@muni.org
(907) 343-8491

Anchorage’s People Mover bus system set a new ridership record in 2008.

After compiling the year’s numbers, 4,220,677 passenger trips were made in 2008. People Mover began bus service on July 1, 1974 with 15 buses serving 8 routes, providing 187,200 passenger trips during its first six months of service. Today, 55 buses serve 16 routes.

“Incredibly high fuel prices, improvements to our service, a growing population, and citizens who are much more concerned about the environment all contribute to this ridership increase”, reports Jody Karcz, Public Transportation Director.  “We are seeing many more “choice” riders on the buses this year.”

Mayor Mark Begich, who will be resigning on Saturday, January 3 to join the U.S. Senate said, “It’s great to be here to see People Mover reach this major milestone. Changes made in the past six years have made the bus service more usable to more residents by providing more frequent service on many routes, transit center based schedules and easier to remember schedules. My efforts in Washington, D.C. will continue to support public transportation programs and funding.”

The previous highest recorded ridership was 4,011,139 in 1982.

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