Despite the recession having a negative impact on most American industries, one seems to be thriving nationwide — public transportation.

The use of public transportation likely picked up when gas prices were through the roof, but, surprisingly, the industry has continued to see a steady increase in users even with gas prices significantly decreasing. This increase includes Lexington’s public transportation, LexTran. From December 2007 to December 2008, LexTran saw a nearly 16 percent increase in ridership, according to a Tuesday Kernel article.

With use of public transportation increasing, there has been a decrease in motor vehicle driving. The U.S. Department of Transportation reported that the U.S. saw a decrease of 12.9 billion vehicle-miles in November 2008, according to the Kernel article.

LexTran is looking to add city routes and park-and-ride routes, which should increase ridership. The planned park-and-rides will provide transportation to and from Lexington for those living outside of the city. The route from Winchester to Lexington began last spring and makes commutes easier for UK employees like Kim Hall.

“It saves me traffic, gas and also finding a place to park,” she said in the Kernel article. “It only costs $40 a month to ride the shuttle, so that’s a huge savings in gas money.”

A route from Mt. Sterling to Lexington is currently in the works, according to the article.

Public transportation is a viable and inexpensive option for students and the Lexington community and is one that should continue to be used. The increased routes will only make LexTran more accessible and provides a great alternative to paying gas prices that seem to fluctuate with each hour.

Since Lexington has the largest carbon footprint in the country for a city of its size, public transportation is one way that rather-embarrassing statistic can begin to be diminished.