EXPENSIVE GAS STEERING MORE RIDERS TO BUS PATRONAGE OF LOCAL VANS, SHUTTLE CLIMBS YET AGAIN.

Byline: Alex Dobuzinskis Staff Writer

BURBANK - Ridership on the local shuttle bus and van service climbed for the 22nd consecutive month in September, with rising fuel prices a likely factor in the increase, officials with the agency said.

Burbank Local Transit ridership increased by 11 percent in September, going from 14,951 in September 2003 to 16,630 last month. In August, ridership increased by 26 percent, going from 13,103 to 16,467 from the year earlier.

``For every person that gets onto those (transit) vehicles, that means one less car on the road,'' said City Councilman Todd Campbell. ``Transit services ... are some of our most important and cost-effective tools to reduce congestion, particularly during peak hours.''

BLT carried 153,230 riders in 2002. In 2003, that increased to 172,640. Through September, the system has carried 145,552 riders, and based on those numbers this year's ridership is expected to be higher than last year's, said Adrian Aguilar, who does marketing for the system.

Fuel prices are a factor.

Since Oct. 15, gas prices have set a new record every day in the Los Angeles/Long Beach area, said Jeff Spring, a spokesman for the Automobile Club of Southern California. On Wednesday, motorists were paying an average of $2.44 cents for a gallon of gas.

The latest numbers for Burbank are from Oct. 12, when a gallon of gas cost $2.31, compared with $2.07 a month before.

``Overall and anecdotally we believe people have looked to different methods of commuting, including carpooling, transit, different methods of telecommuting,'' Spring said, adding that analysts expect gas prices to stabilize in the next couple weeks.

In late August and early September, Burbank Local Transit took delivery of seven new shuttle buses, replacing the diesel-operated shuttles it had with natural gas-powered shuttles. BLT spent $875,000 on the purchase, and its system operates with six shuttles and six vans.

The shuttles and vans pick up passengers from the Burbank Metrolink station. The shuttles run to the Media District, and the vans pick up and drop off passengers around downtown and the airport.

Both services, which operate Monday through Friday, are free to Metrolink users. BLT transport costs $1 for those not using the train. The services operate in the morning and in the afternoon, with the shuttle service continuing until 9 p.m.

The van service allows users to make an appointment to be picked up within each service areas, as long as they call the day before for a morning pickup and before 2 p.m. for an afternoon pickup.

BLT route and schedule information is available at (818) 246-4BLT, or online at www.ci.burbank.ca.us/blt.

Alex Dobuzinskis, [phone]

alex.dobuzinskis(at)dailynews.com