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As gas prices and employment levels rise, more people are riding San Diego Metropolitan Transit System’s (MTS) trolleys and buses.

Since July 1, 2011, the start of the agency’s fiscal-year 2012, ridership has increased 6.4 percent systemwide compared with a similar FY2011 period. Trolley ridership is up 5.2 percent, or 1.2 million trips.

In February, rail and bus ridership shot up more than 7.5 percent, setting a record for the month — one that would have been achieved even without Leap Day, according to the agency.

MTS is on pace to approach its annual ridership record of more than 91 million trips, which was set in FY2008.