MANCHESTER, N.H.—With gas prices on the rise, some municipal bus systems around northern New England are seeing more riders than usual.
In Maine, the Metro Greater Portland Transit District has seen a 5.3 percent increase in ridership for the first four months of the year compared to 2007. And to encourage more people to take buses, all of Maine's major transit providers will offer free rides on May 13 as part of a week-long effort to promote commuting alternatives.
In Vermont, the number of riders on a Rutland County public transportation service has jumped by as much as 35 percent on some routes in the last year.
But a survey of bus riders in Manchester, N.H., on Friday found none who said that high gas prices had prompted them to switch from cars to buses.
