Ridership on TheBoat is up 25 percent in the first two weeks of July from the previous month.

If ridership continues at the current rate for the rest of July, the city's commuter ferry will have carried more than 7,000 passengers in the month, said project manager Darren Mar.

"The gas prices are contributing to the increase in riders," Mar said. "Other factors include the changes to the ZipperLane that went into effect on July 8 when the state raised the number of passengers from two to three.

Each weekday TheBoat offers three morning trips from Kalaeloa to Aloha Tower and three afternoon return trips. The cost is $2 for a one-way adult ticket. Trips on each of the two 149-passenger boats take about an hour.

For more information, go to www.trytheboat.com.