The NYC Subway Accounts for 100-Percent of the Nation’s Transit Growth, Says New Study

[N6 Limited]

 

 

 

http://www.6sqft.com/nyc-subway-accounts-for-100-percent-of-the-nations-transit-growth-since-2005/

The NYC Subway Accounts for 100-Percent of the Nation’s Transit Growth, Says New Study  

 

POSTED ON TUE, MAY 31, 2016BY DIANE PHAMIN TRANSPORTATION

 

 

Although the NYC subway system may be hemorrhaging money, unable to turn a profit despite annual fare increases, expanded services and a slew of other measures, there is one thing that it can gloat about. According to a just-released annual report from the American Public Transportation Association (h/t New Geography), the New York City subway accounts forALL of the transit increase seen in the United States between 2005 and 2015.

In the last decade, subway ridership has ballooned nearly a billion trips, while transit systems outside the New York City subway saw a loss of nearly 200 million riders over the same period. And if current figures are any indication of what’s to come, this trend will only strengthen. As 6sqft reported in April, NYC subway hit 1.7 billion annual trips, the highest since 1948 when ridership was at its peak.

 

 

“The New York City subway accounts carries nearly 2.5 times the annual ridership of the other nine largest metro systems in the nation combined,” New Geography points out. It carries 11 times more riders that the Chicago “L” system, 10 times that of Washington’s Metro, and 50 times more than the Los Angeles system—though to be fair, L.A. has only in the last two decades started to build out its rail system, whereas the NYC subway is more than 100 years old. Moreover, the NYC subway also benefits from population density, 24/7 service and safer riding conditions (i.e. lower crime rates—largely what’s given it significant boosts since the more troubled 70s and 90s).

 

Unsurprisingly, the subway also dominates over other regional transit systems, including the PATH, LIRR and Metro North, at 67 percent. “Other” inner-city transit options (e.g. the bus) make up just 5 percent of the total.

 

 

Adding to all of this, just last year, the American Public Transportation Association found that 2014 national transit ridership marked an unprecedented high for the United States. Meaning the success of our country’s transit can wholly be attributed to how “effective” NYC’s subway system is. Oh, the irony.

Interesting, isn't it?

[QM1to6Ave]

Wow, that is surprising. Sad, and surprising. As much as we bash the subway on here, this reflects how crazy it is that it operates with even a semblance of efficiency. 

[Fresh Pond]

The subway system hasn't turned a profit since the pre-unification days. When they (BMT/IRT/IND) merged to become the TA and the city took over, it wasn't designed to turn one.

[N6 Limited]

The subway system hasn't turned a profit since the pre-unification days. When they (BMT/IRT/IND) merged to become the TA and the city took over, it wasn't designed to turn one.

I think when the BMT and IRT were private the goal was to turn profits, but the city suppressed fares which prevented that from happening.

[bobtehpanda]

I remember when a statistical study had to do more than subtract one row of data to be taken seriously...

[Via Garibaldi 8]

Please.  The subway becomes more and more unreliable by the day.  I've used it extensively this month and there is delay after delay after delay, and sadly a lot of it is during off-peak periods.  The trains just crawl.  People are using the subway in most cases because the other alternative is to sit in traffic and get nowhere, or they can't afford anything else.  Now that traffic should be easing, today is my last day dealing with the subway commute.  I will admit that the train was fairly reliable, but outside of that, just about every other line has been a disaster, and the trains seem to have next to next AC to boot.  Not sure what is up with that.  Are they trying to cut back on electric or what?  Summertime is here and the trains are like sweat boxes.

[Gotham Bus Co.]

I think when the BMT and IRT were private the goal was to turn profits, but the city suppressed fares which prevented that from happening.

 

The story is that Mayor John Hylan had worked his way up the ranks at the BRT (to pay for college and law school) and for some reason was fired in October 1897, the day before his bar exam.  

 

When he ran for Mayor in 1917, his main campaign issue was keeping the fare fixed at five cents, and kept that promise as Mayor. He primarily didn't want to let the BMT (successor to the BRT) raise its fares, but by extension he had to keep all other private carriers' fares fixed as well. 

[Around the Horn]

The story is that Mayor John Hylan had worked his way up the ranks at the BRT (to pay for college and law school) and for some reason was fired in October 1897, the day before his bar exam.  

 

When he ran for Mayor in 1917, his main campaign issue was keeping the fare fixed at five cents, and kept that promise as Mayor. He primarily didn't want to let the BMT (successor to the BRT) raise its fares, but by extension he had to keep all other private carriers' fares fixed as well. 

And screwed it over for years... All those five cent-ers (yes that was a thing) ruined the subway for years.

 

You could argue that the subway was on a downward spiral from the second it opened and you wouldn't be wrong.

[LTA1992]

Please.  The subway becomes more and more unreliable by the day.  I've used it extensively this month and there is delay after delay after delay, and sadly a lot of it is during off-peak periods.  The trains just crawl.  People are using the subway in most cases because the other alternative is to sit in traffic and get nowhere, or they can't afford anything else.  Now that traffic should be easing, today is my last day dealing with the subway commute.  I will admit that the train was fairly reliable, but outside of that, just about every other line has been a disaster, and the trains seem to have next to next AC to boot.  Not sure what is up with that.  Are they trying to cut back on electric or what?  Summertime is here and the trains are like sweat boxes.

Naturally, when a system is heavily used, it won't work as well. On every level that's true. From WiFi to roads, to rail, to a kitchen with more than one person in it (personal opinion on that one lol). Even outside of real life, play SimCity, Citiies Skylines, or any other city building or transport management game. It's not that hard to think about, I just feel like you don't bother to.

 

Geez, all you DO is COMPLAIN. I sometimes even wonder why you even bother posting here honestly.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

Naturally, when a system is heavily used, it won't work as well. On every level that's true. From WiFi to roads, to rail, to a kitchen with more than one person in it (personal opinion on that one lol). Even outside of real life, play SimCity, Citiies Skylines, or any other city building or transport management game. It's not that hard to think about, I just feel like you don't bother to.

 

Geez, all you DO is COMPLAIN. I sometimes even wonder why you even bother posting here honestly.

Actually that's only true if improvements aren't made to the system.

 

If posters like myself weren't around, we would NEVER see what is wrong with the system, and only hear about how the is handicapped and how the state and city is starving the agency of money. 

[Lance]

Actually that's only true if improvements aren't made to the system.

 

If posters like myself weren't around, we would NEVER see what is wrong with the system, and only hear about how the is handicapped and how the state and city is starving the agency of money. 

And therein lies the problem. If the state is unwilling or unable to make those improvements, nothing will change. There are few ways to improve lines like Lexington Ave or Queens Blvd without building some kind of relief for them. Signal systems like CBTC will help a bit, but not to the extent some people believe where trains will run smooth like butter. The former line is the only option from 5th Avenue to the East River while the latter is the only option for midtown-Jamaica service. Also, there are still choke-points scattered around both major lines.

[bobtehpanda]

Actually that's only true if improvements aren't made to the system.

 

If posters like myself weren't around, we would NEVER see what is wrong with the system, and only hear about how the is handicapped and how the state and city is starving the agency of money. 

 

But all the solutions are expensive and take time. There is no money to do more than what is currently being done. In fact, there isn't even enough money to do what is currently being done; the state's contribution to the Capital Plan is more debt on the back of the MTA. It's gotten to the point where about a third of the budget is interest payments, which is no way to run anything at all.

[JubaionBx12+SBS]

The real story here is the lack of growth in transit usage in this country outside of NYC. One would think that transit usage would start to grow in some of these cities as the urban core becomes more attractive to live in but we're seeing even more car dominance then we've had in the past. What would it take for residents in other U.S. large cities to fully embrace public transit?