CLEBURNE (CBSDFW.COM) - Rising gas prices and an aging Baby Boomer generation has spiked ridership on commuter buses between Cleburne and Fort Worth.

According to Julie Floyd, the Manager of Transportation for City/County Transportation, the agency that provides public transportation in Johnson County, ridership has increased 15 percent since 2010. There has also been a 23 percent increase in requests for “demand and respond” services, in which passengers make arrangements ahead of time to be picked up at their homes or a selected location.

The transportation agency said that more Baby Boombers choose to take the bus to leave the driving to someone else.

Pam Lovins works at a pediatrician’s office in Fort Worth, and recently decided to move to Cleburne — where she grew up — in large part due to the shuttle bus transportation, she said. The bus route picks Lovins up a little earlier than she needs, but she likes the convenience of not having to drive 40 minutes to work. “I’m really glad now that I’m riding the bus,” Lovins said. “I think it’s great. It’s one of the major reasons we decided to move to Cleburne.”

Lovins also said that she is saving money by not having to buy gasoline as often. “It’s a lot more cost-efficient,” she added.

The City/County Transportation commuter buses travel between Cleburne, Joshua, Burleson and Fort Worth. It’s a route that the agency started in 2003.

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