Hands reach up the poles in a crowded subway car. (Photo by flickr user eszter)
Did you know that the subways are crowded? Because that’s what the MTA announced yesterday.
According to the MTA, ridership in the New York City subway system is at a 54-year high. In May, 138 million straphangers paid for the privilege of riding the subways. That’s an average of 4.45 million riders per day. WNYC has more:
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority says weekday subway ridership is up 4.5% from the same time last year and the number of people taking the subway on the weekends has jumped up over 6%.
So there you have it; conclusive proof that the subways are more crowded today than they have been since the Dodgers and Giants both played in New York. Now, you and I know that because we ride the trains each day and go through the joys of finding space, never mind a seat, just to make our 20-minute commute.
Now that the MTA knows that, will they do something about it? How about more frequent service on crowded lines? How about express service on unused express tracks in Brooklyn? How about a few new subway lines? Ridership is only going to go up from here as the city grows. Hopefully, our subway service will grow to meet (and dare I say surpass?) this demand.
2 comments
Regarding better service to Billsville, why not revive the “K” Train, last seen in the mid-70s…..
The K operated between Broadway Junction and 57th/6th. That exact service pattern can’t be offered today, because 57th/6th is no longer a terminal.
The most frequent subway buff proposal (it appears on SubChat about once a month) is to merge the V and the M services. That’s physically possible, but it won’t happen. If the V is extended anywhere, it will be on the Culver Line, where the demand for additional service is far more pressing.