GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — The national average is now over $5 a gallon for regular, this, according to GasBuddy.
On March 5, the national average hit $4 a gallon for the first time since 2008. Two days later, it broke the previous record-high, when it reached $4.10.
On April 29, average diesel prices broke a national record, when they reached $5.16 a gallon.
As the temperature rises, so too do gas and diesel prices. But, as history has shown, that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
“I was here the last time we had a substantial change in gas prices awhile back in 2008/2009,” Green Bay Metro Transit director Patricia Kiewiz said. “We experienced some pretty drastic increases in ridership from the same situation.”
Ridiculously high gas prices could make taking public transportation look a lot more intriguing.
In Oshkosh, a one-way bus ride will cost you just $1.50.
“I think it’s a good alternative for people who are looking to save money and reduce their cost for fuel,” transportation director for the city of Oshkosh Jim Collins said.
Green Bay Metro Transit has seen a fairly significant increase in ridership, as of late.
“Over the last couple of months, we’ve been seeing approximately about 2,000 more trips per week than what we were seeing in March/beginning of April, so we’ve definitely been seeing an increase,” said Kiewiz.
But, we all know supply and demand, so an increase in bus fares is expected, right? Well, not the case with GO Transit in Oshkosh or Green Bay Metro Transit.
“We have to go through a planning process, and a public notification process, and public hearings before we would change any transit fares,” said Collins. “The short answer is, no, transit fares will not be changing as a reaction to increased fuel costs.”
Kiewiz says she doesn’t anticipate any fate changed this year.
“Even with the additional cost of fuel and things like that, we have no intentions, at this point, to make any changes to that.”
Instead, public transportation officials hope this will encourage people to try something new and ride a bus again.
Current routes and prices can be found here.
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