Transit ridership suffering nationwide with nearly 4 percent drop

Transit ridership around the country dropped 3.8 percent in the first nine months of 2009 compared to the same time in 2008, according to the American Public Transportation Association report released last week. Buses fared worse than subways, with a drop of 5 percent compared to a nearly 3 percent decrease for heavy rail.

“This downturn in public transportation ridership is a reflection of our economic times,” APTA President William Millar said in a written statement. “Nearly 60 percent of riders take public transportation to commute to and from work, so it is to be expected that public transit ridership would be lower when unemployment is high.”

Cleveland’s subway system showed the biggest fall of 14.7 percent, followed by an 8.5 percent drop in Baltimore and 8 percent in Atlanta, the report said.

Washington’s Metro did slightly better. Its rail system had grown 0.6 percent in that time, the report said, while Metrobus had dropped 3.5 percent.

But the overall decreases this year are highlighted because the numbers are framed against record-breaking 2008, when public transit ridership nationwide hit a 52-year-high. Commuters had flocked to transit as gas prices broke $4 a gallon; when gas prices dropped, some riders returned to their cars.

The ridership figures also cover the calendar year through September, not the fiscal year that started July 1, which Metro is grappling with now.

“Metro saw strong ridership numbers in the early part of the year. The top two ridership days in Metrorail history occurred in January at the time of the Inauguration –1.12 million trips on Jan. 20 and 866,681 trips on Jan. 19,” Metro spokeswoman Cathy Asato said. “On the list of top ridership days, there are seven days in 2009 that make the top-25 list.”

Metro ridership did not start to falter until June, when a deadly train crash fouled up rail service and shook rider confidence. In July, for example, rail ridership dropped 3.82 percent over the same month in 2008.

Furthermore, Metro said earlier this month that ridership numbers have been 6 percent less for rail and 10 percent less for bus than what officials expected for the fiscal year so far. That has translated into less fare revenue, so the agency is eyeing layoffs and service cuts this winter to fill what’s become a $40 million hole in the current budget. Next year’s budget poses an even bigger challenge with a projected $175 million gap, making fare increases and more cuts likely.

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