Gas prices drive rail use

But with gasoline approaching $5 a gallon, the effect may be more permanent.

Michael Miller, 45, used to spend $460 a month at the pump, but now he buys a $230 monthly pass for his daily 2 1/2 -hour commute from Rancho Cucamonga to L.A.

An electrical engineer, Miller started using public transit when gas prices hit $4.45 a gallon just under a month ago. Even if fuel costs go down, he says, he's staying on the train.

"I'm a Metro convert now," he said. "You avoid a lot of hassles. You don't have to deal with traffic; driving is a big headache."

Although the region's rail lines have seen more commuters lately, bus ridership in Los Angeles is slightly down compared to last year, Sotero said. More than 1.2 million passengers boarded Metro buses on an average weekday in May, but compared with all of May 2007, ridership is down 5.37%.

Facing a deep operating deficit, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority last year approved the first across-the-board fare increase in more than a decade, with officials at the time predicting that bus ridership might go down.

Bus riders make up more than 80% of all MTA boardings, officials said.

But for Metro rail rider Thair Peterson, the trains offer more efficiency than cars or buses.

"The Sunset Boulevard [bus line] is pathetic," Peterson said, walking through Union Station on Thursday. "It can be discouraging."

Because the Gold Line stops running before he gets off work, Antral Thomas takes the bus home. He says it's not as convenient and prefers taking trains.

"The train comes on time; you know when it's going to be there," he said.

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joanna.lin@latimes.com

francisco.varaorta@latimes.com

Times staff writer David Reyes contributed to this report.