AAA reports<\/a> the average price for a gallon of gas in Florida is $3.92 \u2014 up 80 cents from $3.12 this time last year. That increase is pushing more riders onto the commuter rail line connecting DeBary to Orlando.<\/p>\nLisette Valentin is one commuter who regularly chooses the rail over the road. She drops her fianc\u00e9 off at the DeBary station every day so he can travel to work in Orlando.<\/p>\n
\u201cI like it. It saves a lot of people money. Gas prices are ridiculous,\u201d Valentin said.<\/p>\n
The savings are a simple calculation for many riders.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt gets you where you need to go,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n
SunRail is not just for the daily grind, either. Nikki Kress and her friends have spent the summer riding between Winter Springs and DeBary just to spend time together.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe jumps on. I picked her up. From here we go straight up to the beach, and then at the end of the day, we just watch the schedule, drop her off, and then [her husband] picks her up when she gets back over there,\u201d Kress said.<\/p>\n
During its most recent meeting, the Central Florida Commuter Rail Commission discussed gas prices and their impact on ridership numbers.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith $4.00 a gallon for gas, there\u2019s an incentive to take SunRail,\u201d one presenter said during the meeting.<\/p>\n
The numbers back that up. In March, SunRail recorded 136,754 riders, its highest March total in more than five years.<\/p>\n
For Kress, the math is straightforward.<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, the gas alone, I mean, of course, gas prices right now are super high. So, I mean, we don\u2019t have to worry about transporting. It would be two rides getting her up here or me going out there. And then at the end of the day, doing it all over again so we wouldn\u2019t be able to do it,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
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