Record number riding LeeTran
SPECIAL TO FLORIDA WEEKLY

LeeTran, Lee County's public transit agency, set a ridership record of 3,037,194 passengers in the fiscal year that ended on Sept. 30.

The new record is a 5 percent increase in passengers carried during the previous fiscal year. Over the past five years, ridership has increased by more than 31 percent.

"The explosive growth of Lee County is creating an increasing need for public transportation," said Transit Director Steve Myers. "Combined with gas prices hovering around $3 a gallon, transit makes economic sense."

In addition to the potential cost savings, other benefits of using public transportation are:

Greenhouse gas reduction: In 2005, public transportation reduced carbon dioxide emissions by 6.9 million metric tons.

Energy savings: Current public transportation usage reduces U.S. gasoline consumption by about 1.4 billion gallons per year.

Safety: Riding a bus is 26 times safer than car travel.

Congestion mitigation: In 2005, commuters in the Fort Myers-Cape Coral area wasted 5.3 million hours in delayed traffic and burned 3 million excess gallons of fuel because of these delays.

LeeTran operates 19 bus and trolley routes throughout Lee County. The adult fare is $1, with discounts available for senior citizens, students and the disabled.

For route and schedule information, visit www.rideleetran.com or call Customer Service at 533-8726 (LEETRAN).