Business is booming for the Butler Transit Authority.

For the second quarter in a row, spanning October, to December 2011, The Bus operator had a significant increases in ridership, according to a news release Thursday.

The authority provided trips to more than 62,100 bus riders during that three-month period, a 14 percent increase over the same quarter in 2010.

That increase comes on the heels of big increases the previous quarter, July through September 2011, when the authority helped more than 61,500 riders, an 11 percent increase in daylight passengers and a 15 percent increase in nighttime riders over the same period in 2010.

The Bus’ routes run throughout Butler and Center townships, as well as the city, and Myers Coach Lines offers commuter service to Pittsburgh on weekdays from BTA stations.

BTA Executive Director John Paul on Thursday attributed the gains both to more efficient bus routes implemented in December, and increased “realization that passengers can use the system to get to work or the doctor’s office or shopping, combined with the economic factors and the high price of gasoline.”

Of the adjusted bus routes, Paul said, “Now that we have the technology, we know where and when people are getting on and off the bus... so we wanted to adjust the routes to reflect that.”