Drivers seeking options like Metro amid record-high gas prices

ST. LOUIS, Mo. (KMOV) - Metro is seeing a typical increase in ridership as warmer weather approaches the Bi-state region.

As gas prices continue to hit record highs across the country, many drivers are seeking alternatives like Metro transit in the St. Louis region.

The national average for gas is above $4. The average is more in Illinois and less in Missouri.

Bi-state Development, the company that oversees MetroBus and MetroLink, told News 4 the company normally sees an increase in riders during the spring. CEO and president Taulby Roach said ridership was down as much as 60% since the pandemic. That number now sits around 40 below pre-pandemic normals.

“We do, typically, see some spikes associated with gas prices and we did in 2008,” Roach said. “We do get a lull in the winter associated with the really cold air.”

One Metro rider, Aaron Robinson of St. Louis, plan to get a car in the future, but the price of gas in causing him to hesitate,

“When I had my truck and car, I would park at MetroLink and catch the train there the rest of the way, cause it’s just too much gas,” Robinson said.

AAA is recommending drivers not wait to buy gas.

“Just today, we saw President Biden announce that the U.S. is going to ban the import of Russian oil--that’s going to affect the global oil market,” said Nick Chabarria, spokesperson for AAA in the St. Louis region. “We saw today the U.S. hit a record high average gas price. Illinois also hit their high. Illinois previous record was from 2011. The U.S. previous record was from 2008.”

To see the Metro fares, click here.

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