Why TriMet Says Its Ridership Dropped Last Month

TriMet's July ridership numbers are in. And they don't look so good. Stats from last month show 8.5 million trips last month on buses, MAX and WES — an 8 percent drop from July 2008.

Bus lines during rush hour took the biggest hit — with ridership down 17.3 percent from last year at the same time. Though still down overall, weekend trips suffered the smallest drop with just a 5 percent decline.

TriMet spokeswoman Mary Fetsch attributes the decline to a "double whammy"- double-digit unemployment rates and cheaper gas compared to July's record $4 plus per gallon.

"It doesn't mean anything," Fetsch says of the ridership drop. "Transit ridership tracks what is going on in the economy ... Eight and half million is still a solid number."