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With gas prices jumping above $3 a gallon on the West Coast, the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LA MTA) continued to post ridership gains in the first quarter. Metro Rail ridership rose 11.4 percent compared with the same 2005 period.

The agency registered the most significant gain on the Metro Red Line between North Hollywood and downtown Los Angeles, which averaged 3.3 million passengers per month between January and March. The line’s quarterly ridership increased 13.7 percent compared with first-quarter 2005.

On the Metro Blue Line between downtown L.A. and Long Beach, monthly ridership grew 10.7 percent to 2.1 million boardings between January and March.