From the NY Daily News:
Despite a February fare hike and a three-day transit strike, subway ridership last year hit 1.45 billion – the highest in more than 50 years.
New subway cars and other upgrades have made tube travel more reliable and have helped lure more than 23 million new riders to the rails in 2005 compared with the year before, Transit Authority officials and rider advocates said yesterday.
The record ridership “is an indication of the strong commitment we at the MTA have made to provide our riders with the finest mass transportation network in the country,” MTA Chairman Peter Kalikow said in a statement.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority has allocated more than $48 billion since the 1980s for high-tech subway cars, track replacement, station renovations and other improvements. MetroCards and new fare-paying technology now reduce the per-trip cost as more riders use the system.
Interesting numbers, especially if you’re a subway rider. The improvements are noticeable, and so are the new cars. It’s not perfect, and there are still some neglected parts of the system, but for once they’re spending money on new cars and station rehab, and it’s a good time to be a rider.
For the most part.
[tags]mta, nyc, subway[/tags]