Comments on: Could the economy sink subway ridership?

By: Alon Levy

Alon Levy — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 03:58:01 +0000

There are more and more tourists who stay in hotels outside Midtown. Hotel prices have skyrocketed in the last decade – I believe a room at the Waldorf went for $200/night in 2001, while now even an off-brand hotel in Midtown can take $400-500.

It’s entirely possible these people are just tourists who have to stay in Queens.

By: herenthere

herenthere — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 00:27:41 +0000

I think ridership may go up for riders in the suburbs/non-Manhattan. I’m increasingly confronted by riders (or I approach them b/c I’m just too kind) in Queens who ask the simplest questions that any long-time commuter would know. For instance, earlier this week at my F stop, a 50s couple asked whether how they could get to Times Square. I told them and the wife said excitedly, “This is our first time taking the subway!” And she then proceeded to take a pic of the dark subway tunnel. Tourists?…maybe. People who can no longer afford to drive daily into Manhattan?…more likely.

By: Benjamin Kabak

Benjamin Kabak — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 18:41:29 +0000

The walk to Pacific St. is generally a waste of time. In the amount of time it takes for me to make that walk, I can just wait for a B to show up. From my apartment, I could go to Union St. and take an M/R to Pacific St for the D. I could go to Grand Army Plaza and take a 2/3 to Atlantic and walk or I can take the B (or Q). I’ve experimented. The B/Q switch is the best.

By: Kid Twist

Kid Twist — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 17:12:32 +0000

Who do you think watches all those daytime reruns of Who’s the Boss?

By: Kid Twist

Kid Twist — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 17:11:34 +0000

Makes sense. Thanks.
Is there any point in getting off at Atlantic to catch a D train, or is the walk to Pacific Street a waste of time?

By: Kai

Kai — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 15:46:09 +0000

I doubt the unemployed will sit at home all day. I assume they’ll be interviewing for new jobs, attending career fairs, etc. It might actually help by decondensing rush hour! Additionally there will be an influx of people from smaller cities coming to NYC to look for jobs. If you have one of the few white collar jobs in a small city in Pennsylvania and you lose it, you don’t have much choice but to move to a big city.

By: Benjamin Kabak

Benjamin Kabak — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 13:12:00 +0000

I’m glad you asked.

It’s nearly impossible to get on the B at 7th Ave., but since that train empties out at DeKalb, I’ll take whatever comes first. If a Q shows up, I’ll wait. If a B shows up, I’ll attempt to cram myself in. On more than one occasion, I’ve had to let the B because the train is just too crowded. The Brighton Express is a rather popular line, and the trains run only every eight minutes during the morning rush.

By: Kid Twist

Kid Twist — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 13:07:49 +0000

No, people who don’t have jobs don’t go to work at all, whether by train or bus or car. Subway usage falls in every recession. Annual ridership figures have always tracked the city’s fortunes in recent decades.

By: Kid Twist

Kid Twist — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 13:04:51 +0000

Why would you take the Q to DeKalb to wait for the B? You might as well just wait for the very same B train at Seventh Avenue. They’re on the same track.

By: Ed

Ed — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 12:54:12 +0000

So because there is an economic downtown, people will cut back on using the subway? Does this make sense? People still have to get go work somehow. What will happen is that people will cut back on driving and on taxis and use the subway more. Of course it would nice to have data on past downturns to see if I am right.

Now overcrowding, without better crowd control methods from the MTA (look at the Tokyo metro for ideas), will set a ceiling on ridership. I am seriously considering taking the bus to work when I resume commuting, even though I know the bus will literally take an hour longer, simply to avoid having to use the Lexington Avenue line during rush hour.