NYC Transit Ridership Increases

The New York metropolitan region has the highest rate of public transit ridership in the nation, and a new Census Bureau survey reports that ridership is rising.

1 minute read

September 6, 2006, 5:00 AM PDT

By Nate Berg


Despite increasing fees, more and more commuters in the New York metropolitan region are using public transit. More than 2.5 million residents use public transit every day, which means that 2 of every 7 New Yorkers are on a bus, ferry or subway.

The New York region accounts for nearly half of the nation's transit use. Nationwide, more than 88% of the country drives to work every day. That figure has been static for more than 6 years, despite rising gas prices.

"The latest figures reinforce just how unusual New York is in its reliance on public transportation. No other American city makes half as much use of mass transit. Of the 6.2 million transit riders in the country, more than 40 percent live in the metropolitan region, which, by the federal government’s definition, includes the city and 18 surrounding counties in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania."

Saturday, September 2, 2006 in The New York Times

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