Trinity Metro sees more Fort Worth riders this year. What is behind the increase?

The number of people riding Trinity Metro is up in 2022.

Ridership between October 2021 and April 2022 is up by 740,000 passengers compared to the same period a year earlier. But it is 1.38 million short of pre-pandemic levels in 2019.

Wayne Gensler, Trinity Metro vice president and chief operating officer for Bus and Paratransit, said in an email that the increase in ridership is due the COVID recovery and rising gas prices.

As of Friday, AAA reported the average for a gallon of gas was $4.50 in Tarrant County.

The increase in ridership on certain Trinity Metro Services has kept pace with the increase in gasoline prices.

Ridership on TEXRail, ZipZone, VanPool and Bike Sharing all show ridership above pre-pandemic levels in 2019, and experienced a drastic increase between February and March of this year.

Bike Sharing more than doubled from 4,102 in February to 9,831 in March. By April it was 10,327.

VanPooL ridership was 11,220 in February, rose to 21,005 in March and was 25,033 by April.

TEXRail rose from 28,157 in February to 44,069 in March and 47,561 in April.

ZipZone ridership saw the smallest increase, from 4,428 in February to 5,898 by March and 6,458 in April.