A rider gets on a Tyler bus Friday. Tyler Transit has attributed a 5% increase in ridership due to increased gas prices. 

Tyler Transit has seen a steady 5% increase in ridership that the city attributes to the rise in gas prices.

James Torres, Tyler Transit general manager, said taking a bus is affordable and convenient and can be a benefit when fuel prices spike.

“It’s $1 one way and $2 for an all day pass,” Torres said. “Basically, you pay $2, and you can go anywhere in the city from 6 in the morning all the way to 8 o’clock at night.”

Even with higher prices at the pump, Tyler Transit has kept its fares the same, he said.

“With the uncertainty of gas prices, we like to stay consistent,” he said. “Our prices don’t fluctuate, don’t ebb and flow with the market — it stays consistent.”

Torres said that along with the affordability, the city’s public transportation has other benefits. That include helping to ease congestion on streets and offering free wifi so riders can work while they commute.

On average, Tyler Transit’s fixed routes have around 250 to 300 riders daily, and the Tyler Paratransit service is about the same, Torres said.

February and March saw a 25% increase in ridership, Torres said. While some of the increase can be attributed to the increase in gas prices, Tyler Transit believes it is largely in part because mask mandates being lifted.

In total, Tyler Transit has 10 fixed route vehicles and eight paratransit vehicles, Torres said. Each of the six fixed routes average more than 200 miles a day, and paratransit averages 110 miles.

Despite paying more for fuel, Tyler Transit’s budget is not in danger, Torres said.

“We anticipate things like (higher gas prices),” he said. “We do budget it for extra just in case so it’s just a little bit easier to absorb.”

This past year, Tyler Transit anticipated a 50-cent to 75-cent, possibly even $1, increase in gas prices, Torres said.

The spike in gas prices, “really didn’t hit us bad because we’ve got that cushion,” he said. “We do anticipate every year that something like this is going to happen.”

Related: Gas prices in Tyler break record over weekend