2012 MTA Ridership Stats

[BrooklynIRT]

http://www.mta.info/nyct/facts/ridership/

[BrooklynIRT]

one thing that made no sense to me was that they listed increases in the weekday and weekend ridership of the B44 but a decrease in its annual ridership...

[Mysterious2train]

All of the Lexington Av routes had a decrease in ridership. That's troubling. 

[YankeesPwnMets]

What is X-Other? Routes like the X80 and X81??

[BrooklynIRT]

Mysterious2train: could it be increasing traffic on Lexington?

 

and Good Lord, I found even more errors:

 

previous tables for the B44 and 49 (which I had saved) compared to new ones. sorry about the sloppiness; I was trying not to spend too much time. the 2011 stats do not match up. also I have to apologize for putting the B44 weekday and weekend ridership in the wrong order. the weekend ridership is reportedly higher. (row 7 is weekend ridership from this year for the 44, row 8 is weekday ridership from this year for the 44. row 1 is weekday from last year, row 2 weekend from last year.)

 

[Via Garibaldi 8]

I personally think we'll see some improvements in bus service once Bus Time is introduced AND they start enforcing the fare... I'm very impressed with the ridership stats for Staten Island's express buses... Just about all of them saw nice improvements despite us still being in a recession, which is still not over, plus hurricane Sandy.  These numbers aren't terrible, but the must be more aggressive in doing more to provide more reliable service and more frequent service so that buses aren't sardine cans. I have written to several offices to get them to press the to restore more bus service.  This is must in order for this city to forge ahead during these tough economic times and to keep this city vibrant and attractive.

 

 

I'm also happy overall with Riverdale express bus service.  Ridership is about where it was in 2011 though it dipped slightly on the BxM1 and BxM2, but it'll be fine... The whole area is trying to get through this tough recession right now.  The BxM18 saw more growth which is great.

[BM5 via Woodhaven]

Good to know almost 677.5 riders switched over from the Q53 to the Q52 last year. I wanna see this year's stats next year to see what happens

 

Q67 weekend ridership seems to go down when it hits 390+. Thats sad, considering how much help it needs.

 

The QM10 is going down. now its at 88,000 from 2007 when it had 143,000. That route is gonna get the blow eventually if it keeps going in this direction.

 

QM24 has also been decreasing, but part of it is because the QM25 was created as the downtown variant instead of QM24, so that I understand.

 

QM21 has gone done 84,000 riders ever since 2007, A 48% decrease in ridership. Keep it up QM21

[checkmatechamp13]

Well, I'm not going to take these ridership numbers too seriously, considering the fact that a lot of them still don't match up with the official numbers they released when they did the service cuts. (The official numbers are higher). But for the hell of it, I looked at it anyway, and it's nice to see that both the S78 & S79 saw a small increase in ridership (the SBS service was in effect for the last 4 months of the year, and of course, Hurricane Sandy had an impact as well), so hopefully ridership will increase even more further down the road.

 

All of the Lexington Av routes had a decrease in ridership. That's troubling. 

 

Well, on the bright side, the M15 saw an increase, so maybe they just shifted to the M15.

 

What is X-Other? Routes like the X80 and X81??

 

Yeah. And for the locals, it was probably subway shuttles. (And it might also include buses that for some reason, were signed up as "Not In Service" or something, so they couldn't determine which route they were running on).

[qjtransitmaster]

All of the Lexington Av routes had a decrease in ridership. That's troubling. 

Not surprised.

[NewFlyer 230]

The MTA might as well eliminate the Q11 because it has lost so much ridership ever since the Q21 and Q52 got introduced on Woodhaven. Who knows 2013 and 2014 it may only have 2,000. The Q25 is increasing and I see it on Saturdays buses packed and they have to send a second bus behind most runs and they both end up crowded. I wonder why it doesn't have LTD on Saturdays. There are a lot of increases and if the Q8 continues to gain ridership it could have Artics one day.

[qjtransitmaster]

Good to know almost 677.5 riders switched over from the Q53 to the Q52 last year. I wanna see this year's stats next year to see what happens

 

Q67 weekend ridership seems to go down when it hits 390+. Thats sad, considering how much help it needs.

 

The QM10 is going down. now its at 88,000 from 2007 when it had 143,000. That route is gonna get the blow eventually if it keeps going in this direction.

 

QM24 has also been decreasing, but part of it is because the QM25 was created as the downtown variant instead of QM24, so that I understand.

 

QM21 has gone done 84,000 riders ever since 2007, A 48% decrease in ridership. Keep it up QM21

Knew it QM21 most likely those riders shifted to the LIRR or X63 with X63 being more frequent and LIRR being way faster. QM10 should be merged into the QM12 to stop the bleeding. Q67 may end up broken up and merged with different lines well that may be the logical thing.

 

The MTA might as well eliminate the Q11 because it has lost so much ridership ever since the Q21 and Q52 got introduced on Woodhaven. Who knows 2013 and 2014 it may only have 2,000. The Q25 is increasing and I see it on Saturdays buses packed and they have to send a second bus behind most runs and they both end up crowded. I wonder why it doesn't have LTD on Saturdays. There are a lot of increases and if the Q8 continues to gain ridership it could have Artics one day.

Nope Q11 is a partner of the Q21 they are part of a series of woodhaven blvd routes mix of local and LTD stop services.

 

I personally think we'll see some improvements in bus service once Bus Time is introduced AND they start enforcing the fare... I'm very impressed with the ridership stats for Staten Island's express buses... Just about all of them saw nice improvements despite us still being in a recession, which is still not over, plus hurricane Sandy.  These numbers aren't terrible, but the must be more aggressive in doing more to provide more reliable service and more frequent service so that buses aren't sardine cans. I have written to several offices to get them to press the to restore more bus service.  This is must in order for this city to forge ahead during these tough economic times and to keep this city vibrant and attractive.

 

 

I'm also happy overall with Riverdale express bus service.  Ridership is about where it was in 2011 though it dipped slightly on the BxM1 and BxM2, but it'll be fine... The whole area is trying to get through this tough recession right now.  The BxM18 saw more growth which is great.

Not having a subway to compete against also helps too so I am not surprised with SI express lines.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

Not having a subway to compete against also helps too so I am not surprised with SI express lines.

Yes, but reliability has improved significantly now that Bus Time is there.  The X10 used to be horrible before.  Now the B/O's can't play games anymore on that line.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

QM21 has gone done 84,000 riders ever since 2007, A 48% decrease in ridership. Keep it up QM21

Demographics has a lot to do with it... QM21 is mainly black riders and 2007 was when the economy was okay... 2008 was when we hit a recession and the black community has had higher unemployment numbers... That area isn't that well-to-do to be begin with so it isn't surprising that it has lost so much ridership.  

[qjtransitmaster]

Demographics has a lot to do with it... QM21 is mainly black riders and 2007 was when the economy was okay... 2008 was when we hit a recession and the black community has had higher unemployment numbers... That area isn't that well-to-do to be begin with so it isn't surprising that it has lost so much ridership.  

Trust me it will only get worse over there.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

Trust me it will only get worse over there.

Unfortunately I have to agree... I do see that the X64 and X68 saw a slight improvement....

[checkmatechamp13]

The MTA might as well eliminate the Q11 because it has lost so much ridership ever since the Q21 and Q52 got introduced on Woodhaven. Who knows 2013 and 2014 it may only have 2,000. The Q25 is increasing and I see it on Saturdays buses packed and they have to send a second bus behind most runs and they both end up crowded. I wonder why it doesn't have LTD on Saturdays. There are a lot of increases and if the Q8 continues to gain ridership it could have Artics one day.

 

There's a few reasons why that wouldn't work.

 

* You need something to cover those areas immediately to the west of the train (that whole Cohancy Street area, and then you have the two branches that need coverage). It doesn't have to run frequently, but you need a route.

 

* If you sent those trips to Lindenwood, you'd end up overserving that area, between Q41 trips, plus the Q21 trips that already go there, plus the ones that were rerouted over the Q21 route. You'd have excess service in Lindenwood, and nothing in Howard Beach.

 

* If you short-turned them at Pitkin (in which case, it doesn't matter what they're signed up as), you still have no service in Howard Beach.

 

* Not that it makes much of a difference, but the Q11 still has more ridership than the Q21.

 

It's really one route with 3 branches (Lindenwood, Howard Beach, Hamilton Beach), with some short-turns before the branching point (Pitkin).

 

On a side note, I looked at the weekend schedule, and northbound local buses are scheduled right behind each other, with a 30 minute gap. That needs to be fixed.

[B35 via Church]

The MTA might as well eliminate the Q11 because it has lost so much ridership ever since the Q21 and Q52 got introduced on Woodhaven. Who knows 2013 and 2014 it may only have 2,000. The Q25 is increasing and I see it on Saturdays buses packed and they have to send a second bus behind most runs and they both end up crowded. I wonder why it doesn't have LTD on Saturdays. There are a lot of increases and if the Q8 continues to gain ridership it could have Artics one day.

You have to consider the complaint of Q11's being overcrowded..... Services have been created/increased to help rectify that problem.... Those riders can't have it both ways.... The loss of riders on the Q11 isn't necessarily indicative of a loss in usage along woodhaven overall (so don't worry).... It would be asinine for them to eliminate the Q11 because for one (as was said), the route is needed for simple coverage down there in howard/hamilton beach - and they're not gonna do that with any splitting/branching of service with the Q21, nor with any localizing & branching of Q52 service....

 

Don't be so hasty, think about what you're saying there....

 

...the 2011 stats do not match up.

Well, I'm not going to take these ridership numbers too seriously, considering the fact that a lot of them still don't match up with the official numbers they released when they did the service cuts.....

@ BrooklynIRT: Disgusting when you come to realize it for yourself aint it

@ checkmate: Same....

[Acela Express]

Seems like the M15 & Bx12 ridership is increasing by the year since the introduction of SBS.

 

However, the B46 doesn't seem to be doing well with "paid" passengers.

I wonder what the exact number is with fare evasion counts too.

I'm having a hard time digesting the fact the 46 lost ridership..

 

The B41 & 44 is a complete different story.

For the 44, they need to actually put another dispatcher along the line because the one at the Junction can't adjust the entire line from end-to-end; they need one at Fulton & Nostrand. The line has become too unreliable during rush hours as well. 

We'll see what SBS brings.

[Q43LTD]

Once again the top 10 routes by borough

Bronx

Bx12

Bx1/2

Bx19

Bx36

Bx9

Bx40/42

Bx6

Bx15

Bx41

Bx39

 

Brooklyn

B46

B6

B44

B35

B41

B82

B15

B38

B8

B1

 

Manhattan

M15

M14

M101

M86

M4

M34

M79

M60

M7

M100

 

Queens

Q44

Q58

Q27

Q46

Q17

Q43

Q20

Q85

Q5

Q54

 

Staten Island

S53

S79

S48/98

S46/96

S44/94

S78

S74/84

S62/92

S61/91

S40/90

S76/86

 

Express

X1

X17

X27/37

X10

X28/38

X12/42

X22

X5

X7

X2

 

MTAB

Q10

Q65

Q25

Q23

Q53

Q111

Q60

Q66

Q6

Q113

 

MTAB Express

BxM7

BxM9

QM5

QM2

BxM8

BxM10

BxM1

BM1

QM15

BxM11

 

Any thoughts?

[MHV9218]

They really have to figure out a system for analyzing farebeating, cause when they look at the numbers as a drop and cut service for the rest of us, we all lose. Very real possibility for some of the SI and Bronx routes, along with the 35, 41, 44, and 46 bus in Brooklyn. [Only major Manhattan farebeating bus is the 14, and I doubt they'll cut that much, especially with the numbers up.]

 

Some of these numbers were pretty telling though. Namely, that the M5 extension has failed, as service is worse and the route has only picked up a portion of M6 ridership, if any at all. Good work. And another, that it was totally ridiculous to restore the M21's weekend service and not the M8's. That was just a conscious decision to take in less revenue and provide worse service. Nice. I coulda told you these things, MTA.

 

What's up with the M106 though? Pretty major increases for that route, can't immediately think of a reason why that's happened. The Lex decreases I firmly believe are due to the sh!t service Tuskegee put out last year. Ops with no bus to pull out, breakdowns, the lot. When service gets bad, people lose faith and stop taking the bus, something that the MTA doesn't seem to grasp when it cuts and cuts. That should be a little better now that TU's got a new fleet, however. Have to wait and see. Interesting numbers on the whole.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

They really have to figure out a system for analyzing farebeating, cause when they look at the numbers as a drop and cut service for the rest of us, we all lose. Very real possibility for some of the SI and Bronx routes, along with the 35, 41, 44, and 46 bus in Brooklyn. [Only major Manhattan farebeating bus is the 14, and I doubt they'll cut that much, especially with the numbers up.]

 

Some of these numbers were pretty telling though. Namely, that the M5 extension has failed, as service is worse and the route has only picked up a portion of M6 ridership, if any at all. Good work. And another, that it was totally ridiculous to restore the M21's weekend service and not the M8's. That was just a conscious decision to take in less revenue and provide worse service. Nice. I coulda told you these things, MTA.

 

What's up with the M106 though? Pretty major increases for that route, can't immediately think of a reason why that's happened. The Lex decreases I firmly believe are due to the sh!t service Tuskegee put out last year. Ops with no bus to pull out, breakdowns, the lot. When service gets bad, people lose faith and stop taking the bus, something that the MTA doesn't seem to grasp when it cuts and cuts. That should be a little better now that TU's got a new fleet, however. Have to wait and see. Interesting numbers on the whole.

I would have to agree on the M5... I really don't like taking that bus. If the M104 was around and still went to the East Side, I'd take that instead.  The waits between buses are too long and they always come bunched.  Bring back the M6 and give the M5 limited stop service 7 days a week!  They also need to beef up the M2 again.  That line has really gone to sh*t.  Meanwhile the local buses along 5th run much better than the M2 and M5.  I am really trying to make a push to get local representatives to push the about restoring the M104 because they've been so stubborn about it that it's ridiculous.

[checkmatechamp13]

They really have to figure out a system for analyzing farebeating, cause when they look at the numbers as a drop and cut service for the rest of us, we all lose. Very real possibility for some of the SI and Bronx routes, along with the 35, 41, 44, and 46 bus in Brooklyn. [Only major Manhattan farebeating bus is the 14, and I doubt they'll cut that much, especially with the numbers up.]

 

They don't use those numbers to determine service levels. They use the traffic check data. (Plus, these aren't the official stats anyway. You want to know how I know? Because in that 2010 service reductions booklet, they posted the 2009 ridership of the routes, but those numbers don't match up with the 2009 numbers listed on this site. The service reduction numbers were higher, which leads me to believe that those were the actual numbers, and those numbers up on the site are fudged for whatever reason)

 

So basically, I wouldn't put much stock into all this stuff about "Oh, ridership on the B46 is decreasing", because those aren't the official numbers. If there's any actual decrease in ridership it's not going to be anything noticable. (I mean, obviously ridership isn't going to be the same every single day, so you might see a small 1% decrease or something over the course of a year)

 

The worst part is that somebody sent me numbers that were supposed to be official, because they had the cost-efficiency data attached to them. Well, it turns out they used the fudged ridership numbers and just attached fudged cost-efficiency numbers to them. I bet somebody regrets sending out the official numbers back in 2010.

[Interested Rider]

Acela Express is right on the money when he says that the B/44 needs additional dispatchers north of the junction to help the route. This problem has been going on for years and is one of the major reasons that the B/44 does not run on time.

 

It will be interesting if when the B/44 Select Bus comes on line later this year will there be additional dispatchers assigned north of the junction. If they are assigned then the question arises, why was it not done years ago to help the route when it was a limited?

 

 

[qjtransitmaster]

I would have to agree on the M5... I really don't like taking that bus. If the M104 was around and still went to the East Side, I'd take that instead.  The waits between buses are too long and they always come bunched.  Bring back the M6 and give the M5 limited stop service 7 days a week!  They also need to beef up the M2 again.  That line has really gone to sh*t.  Meanwhile the local buses along 5th run much better than the M2 and M5.  I am really trying to make a push to get local representatives to push the about restoring the M104 because they've been so stubborn about it that it's ridiculous.

Simple if M42 was improved this would be a non issue.

[MHV9218]

I would have to agree on the M5... I really don't like taking that bus. If the M104 was around and still went to the East Side, I'd take that instead.  The waits between buses are too long and they always come bunched.  Bring back the M6 and give the M5 limited stop service 7 days a week!  They also need to beef up the M2 again.  That line has really gone to sh*t.  Meanwhile the local buses along 5th run much better than the M2 and M5.  I am really trying to make a push to get local representatives to push the about restoring the M104 because they've been so stubborn about it that it's ridiculous.

 

The M2, that whole drop I am 100% convinced is due to the insane headways. I see it myself: all it takes is one bus running late and it's 30-35 minutes waiting for a bus, if not more. So nobody waits for it, and they just grab the local. It's bullsh!t that the MTA switches around services levels for the 5th Ave buses, cause generally the number of riders isn't shifting intentionally, it's usually a random decision that a rider will make to take the next bus they see cause they're sick of waiting...never a conscious change in service. But some guy in planning looks at the numbers and says 'Cut the service!' and we all lose, cause now even more people give up and take the local, and the numbers dip even more, and it gets even worse. It's ridiculous, and I'm so sick of waiting an hour for a bus that used to be no more than a ten-fifteen minute wait ten years ago! The M5 and M104 were just dumb decisions, simple as that. Nobody commuting from Upper West or Harlem is going to 41st and 7th; hell, no New Yorker is taking the bus straight to Times Square, and yet they send the 104 there, when it comes from non-touristy neighborhoods. More dumb planning.

 

They don't use those numbers to determine service levels. They use the traffic check data. (Plus, these aren't the official stats anyway. You want to know how I know? Because in that 2010 service reductions booklet, they posted the 2009 ridership of the routes, but those numbers don't match up with the 2009 numbers listed on this site. The service reduction numbers were higher, which leads me to believe that those were the actual numbers, and those numbers up on the site are fudged for whatever reason)

 

So basically, I wouldn't put much stock into all this stuff about "Oh, ridership on the B46 is decreasing", because those aren't the official numbers. If there's any actual decrease in ridership it's not going to be anything noticable. (I mean, obviously ridership isn't going to be the same every single day, so you might see a small 1% decrease or something over the course of a year)

 

The worst part is that somebody sent me numbers that were supposed to be official, because they had the cost-efficiency data attached to them. Well, it turns out they used the fudged ridership numbers and just attached fudged cost-efficiency numbers to them. I bet somebody regrets sending out the official numbers back in 2010.

 

I assume they adjust these numbers, but I only wonder how much they adjust them nefariously or legitimately. In any case, I'm sure that just like every year somebody in planning will read them ignorantly and make the wrong cut when it comes to service.