Further to the post below about the presumed Turning Point in Transit History, Next City looks at Six Things to Know About the Nation’s Much-Heralded Transit Growth.
Here are two.
Transit Still in Long-Term Recovery
This year’s total ridership is the highest since 1956. But in 1956 the U.S. had a population of 169 million, about half of today’s 318 million. So while the absolute numbers are back up to mid-1950s levels, relative ridership is nowhere close to recovering. …
Even cities that haven’t significantly suburbanized are off from their postwar peaks. In 2012, for example, New York only had as many transit riders as it did in 1950, despite having a slightly higher population.
And this:
Existing Heavy Rail Systems See Biggest Gains
… the main story of heavy rail — elevated and subway systems — is that larger ridership boosts are possible without new construction. Heavy rail ridership across the country grew by 2.79 percent over last year, with very little new construction.
Miami was the runaway winner in relative terms (the second time in less than a week), posting ridership increases of more than 10.6 percent a year. While the system did open its new stop at Miami International Airport in 2012, boardings at this station weren’t much higher at the end of 2013 than in 2012. The vast majority of the ridership jump, then, came from stations that were already in place 10 years ago.
But while the new airport station is responsible for a minuscule bump in ridership, the increased service that came along with it — a new “Orange Line” service pattern was created, reducing headways in the system’s core — likely went a long way to attract new passengers.
Los Angeles saw the next highest relative increase in heavy rail ridership, with 4.78 percent more trips on its Red and Purple Line subways in 2013 than in the year before, despite not having opened any new stations since 2000. New York’s subway also posted ridership gains of 4.18 percent, despite closing a tunnel between Brooklyn and Manhattan in August for Hurricane Sandy repairs.
Four more here.
Surprising that an airport station in Miami had such little effect. What is the difference between it and the Canada Line?
The Canada line has stations at YVR, but my feeling is most of the riders are coming from Richmond, Delta, Tsawwassen, etc rather than visiting the airport as the primary purpose of stepping on the train. How often do people actually go to the airport?
I make it a point to personally use Skytrain to and from YVR (except when my plane lands after the last or before the first train) and it’s always empty. I would also guess most people visiting the airport are using a motor vehicle such as their own car, a taxi, or getting a ride from a friend.
Once they charge $10 to enter the airport by car that will change … But a deeply engrained car culture and “roads are free” attitude by too many, especially in the Liberal party will prevent that from happening anytime soon …
I think the airport part of the Canada Line accounts for about 10%: 10% of the length, 10% of the budget and 10% of the ridership. This was the expectation. And employees at the airport make up a big chunk of the users, also what you would expect. How well the Miami airport station picks up this traffic is probably related to how useful the whole transit system is for travelers and employees at that airport.