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Confirmed: NYC Subways Are More Crowded
By
Jen Chung
Published May 13, 2008
Modified May 13, 2008
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By
Jen Chung
Published May 13, 2008
Modified May 13, 2008
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Photograph of the crowd waiting for a 1, 2 or 3 train at Times Square by ianqui on Flickr
New data supports what everyone's been thinking: Ridership for the subway--and almost every other mass transit option--is up versus last year. So far, subway ridership is up almost 5% for the first three months of 2008 versus same period last year, and bus ridership is up 1.1%.
Metro-North and LIRR both have seen ridership increases of more than 5%, and many riders pointing to gas prices as why they are taking mass transit. A construction worker who lives in Long Island told the Daily News, "Gas prices are ridiculous - that's why I'm on the train. It's faster, less expensive and less wear and tear on my car."
Another interesting stat: The number of drivers going across/through MTA and Port Authority bridges and tunnels has declined 1.5-1.9&. Question: Would congestion pricing have had a fighting chance if it were up for discussion after a long summer of high gas prices?
Tagged
congestion pricing
gas prices
mass transit
subway
subway ridership
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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