Tallahassee marked “Take a Trip on Transit Day” by offering free rides on all StarMetro buses. This comes at a time when the use of public transit, while still not as popular as personal vehicles, is slowly growing in Florida.
Ernie Bradley with the Florida Department of Health said public transit can be combined with walking for those seeking a healthier lifestyle.
“Making sure that people have access to adequate transit is a very important part of creating more of those opportunities to walk,” Bradley noted.
Tallahassee City Commissioner Gil Ziffer already combines walking and taking the bus when he goes to work at City Hall. He admitted local StarMetro ridership numbers could use a boost.
“They’re not where they should be," he said. "But we’re working hard on that. For example, doing things like this today; Take a Ride on Transit.”
Plus, there are the new services like the free lunchtime and weekend nighttime Trolley service the city recently launched. Still, the Florida Public Transportation Association notes transit use is now growing faster than personal vehicle use statewide.
