OCTOBER 2008 PRESS RELEASE

Ridership Reflects National Trends, According To RVTD's Latest Survey Conducted By Feedback Research Services

October 23, 2008 (Medford OR): Each year, public transportation typically accounts for a 4.2 billion gallon reduction in gasoline consumption in the United States. During the second quarter of 2008, public transit ridership increased 5.2% nationally. Total trips may exceed 10.3 billion by year-end 2008 (and lower gas usage even more if prices remain high). [American Public Transportation Association]

In Southern Oregon, the Rogue Valley Transportation District (RVTD) operates a bus system that serves seven cities. In spring 2008, RVTD contracted with Feedback Research Services (FRS) / Feed-back.com to conduct its triennial survey with more than 600 passengers over a four-week period in April and May.

Paige Townsend, Senior Planner, explains why the findings are important: "The passenger survey results help RVTD understand how we are meeting the needs of current users of the system and suggest improvements that could be made. We look for large fluctuations between survey years."

For example, there was an 8% increase from 2005 to 2008 in the percentage of respondents who would not make the trip at all if bus service were unavailable (34% in 2008). Another 26% would have carpooled or gotten a ride to reach their destinations, while 7% would have driven alone.

Approximately one-third of riders use RVTD to commute to work and more people are choosing public transit, reflecting national trends. Ridership rose nearly 12% from May to September 2008, compared to the same period in 2007. That's good news for RVTD, since ridership fell 20% in 2007 - 2008 from a peak of nearly 1.2 million riders in 2004 - 2005. [Mail Tribune, October 14, 2008]

In other news, a bike commuter tax credit was included in the U.S. Emergency Economic Stabilization Act (federal bailout legislation). FRS staff reviewed "bike" data from RVTD's 2008 Passenger Survey, and found that nearly 5% of participants bicycled to and/or from the bus. Details are presented in the latest edition of StrataGist at: www.Feed-back.com.

Feedback Research Services is a consulting / publishing company that analyzes consumer, health care, medical, transportation, and other markets. Feed-back.com is an online resource for affordable industry reports and cost-effective custom research services. FRS conducted RVTD's 2008 Passenger Survey from April through mid-June 2008.

Rogue Valley Transportation District has been in operation since 1975 and currently serves urbanized areas of Jackson County, Oregon, with regularly scheduled bus routes in seven cities. Passenger Survey Reports from 2003, 2005, and 2008 are available to read or download at the RVTD web site at: www.rvtd.org.