Gas prices soaring past $6.20 a gallon have Southern California commuters abandoning jammed freeways for bustling trains, as more residents trade their cars to escape the relentless cost of fuel.
For many Angelenos, the price at the pump has made daily driving financially unbearable.
With gas prices crippling daily budgets, Metrolink and other transit systems are seeing a noticeable surge in ridership as commuters search for cheaper alternatives.
“There’s been a huge influx in the people on the trains,” commuter Autumn Beno-Morris toldABC7.
Beno-Morris, who travels more than 70 miles each way into downtown Los Angeles, said driving is no longer financially sustainable.
“Right now, there is no way I could afford to drive into the city every day. I commute over 70 miles each way, and with the prices of gas, it’s impossible for me to keep up with that,” she said.
Metrolink officials noted that ridership jumped almost overnight as fuel prices shot up.
“There’s a cost-prohibitive nature to driving right now,” said Meredith Yeoman, the agency’s director of communications.
According to Yeoman, Metrolink recorded a 4% jump in ridership as gas prices surged.
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority also reported growing demand, with March ridership rising more than 8% compared with March 2024.
Source: California Post – Breaking California News, Photos & Videos
