The Chronicle reports the latest ridership figures released by Metro:
January’s ridership report shows 32,384 average daily boardings on MetroRail. That is the second highest monthly average reported since passenger service began in January 2004. The record high average was 32,941 in October.
Boardings had fallen to 29,782 and 29,175 in November and December, respectively.
Bus ridership in January averaged 274,328 per weekday. That’s down 9 percent from the 300,650 average daily boardings recorded in January 2004, and the lowest January total since 1997.
Metro attributes recent declines in bus ridership to elimination of routes parallel to the rail line. Critics, however, have argued the bus cutbacks have led more commuters to use their cars instead.
Critics have also pointed out that Metro has eliminated other bus routes that have nothing to do with the rail line, except that because of the rail line Metro needs to save money.
