As the NYC Transit announced that subway and bus ridership had reached 2.37 billion rides in 2008—the most since 1965—some residents protested the elimination of M8 bus service as well as other NYCT cuts. The MTA has proposed a series of fare hikes and service cuts, due to a huge budget deficit for next year and future years, and unless the state finds extra funding by March 25, those dreaded "doomsday budget" proposals will be enacted.
Some details about the 2008 ridership levels: CityRoom reports, "The subways delivered 1.62 billion rides, a 3.9 percent increase from 2007 and the highest annual subway ridership since 1950, when the city was packed with industrial workers, military veterans and immigrants" (while pointing out that rides are measured, not individual riders). And the line with the biggest increase? The L, which Bloomberg News called the "Hipster Express," had a 8.5% bump from 2007. The second biggest increase was the N line (+8.1%).
Bus ridership was up 1.2%, to 747 million rides; the Bx12 route, which has the express service, had the biggest increase, with a 9.4% jump in riders. Most of the subway and bus ridership increases occurred during the parts of the year when gas prices escalated.
