Originally published July 3, 2008 in Owings Mills Times.

In the face of record high gas prices, more area residents and employees of local businesses are choosing to take mass transit instead of driving to their destination to cut their fuel bills.

“It’s been very helpful,” said Irene Azu, a city resident who commutes several days a week to the Bank of America in Owings Mills. “The monthly pass (good for bus, Metro or light rail) is about $64, so it’s been very helpful.”

Owings Mills is home to the western terminus of Baltimore’s Metro Subway line, which travels southeast through downtown Baltimore to Johns Hopkins Hospital. The Maryland Transit Administration also operates several local bus lines in the area.

Ridership on Metro has seen a “solid increase,” according to spokeswoman Jo Greene. Between March and April, the last month for which statistics were available, the daily number of riders rose from 47,000 to 49,600.

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