Outer Borough Riders Cram Subways

A new report by the Center for Urban Future [pdf] shows that over the past decade, North Brooklyn subways stops have some of the largest ridership increase in the City. The L line alone has 13 stations in the list of top 50 fastest-growing stations, the J line 5, and the G 4. Some local highlights to ponder while you’re waiting to see if you can get on the next train:

  • Ridership at the Bedford station is up almost 10,000 riders per day, a 118% increase
  • Morgan Avenue is up close to 3,000 rider per day, at 128% increase
  • The Metropolitan/Lorimer stop on the G train has seen 6,000 more riders per day, a 103% increase
  • Grand Street on L is up close to 6,000 riders, a 78% increase
  • Graham, Wilson and Halsey are all up 60% or more (over 7,000 more riders per day between the three stations)
  • Marcy Avenue on the J/M/Z is up 50% (3,000 riders per day)

Ridership on the G train north of Metropolitan is up, but not nearly as significantly – Nassau Avenue is up about 1,500 riders per day (23%); Greenpoint Avenue is up 1,000 riders per day (15%)

Here’s another fun fact: the Environmental Impact Statement from the 2005 waterfront rezoning predicted an increase of 1,000 riders per day at the Bedford L stop. Since most of the development from that rezoning has yet to come online, you can expect even more crowding. Of course the EIS had a solution to this overcrowding – widen the stairs into the Bedford L station, and increase the number of trains on the line. The staircase hasn’t gotten any wider (yet another unfulfilled promise), and the L line was already pretty much at capacity when that report was written.

Remember too that the MTA has eliminated service on the Z train, reducing the capacity of the one line that could relieve crowding on the L line.