Higher gasoline prices may be increasing the number of riders using the city’s public transportation system.

City officials reported Monday that ridership on the city’s T system increased by 23 percent, or 6,880 rides, during the month of August. The system is now providing about 1,266 rides per day.

The 23 percent increase is a larger-than-average increase for the T, which has had ridership increase by 16 percent for the year. Cliff Galante, the city’s public transit administrator, said gas prices may be a possible explanation.

“We don’t have any way to track that for sure because we don’t do surveys to find out why people are riding,” Galante said.

“But I think that probably is a factor.”

Galante said part of the increase also was due to a greater community acceptance of the system now that it has been in operation nearly five years.