Outer borough riders cram subways: report

Meanwhile, city, state want toll hikes, not a fare increase

Five state senators from Brooklyn and the Bronx may now defeat the plan to bail out the MTA by charging tolls on East and Harlem river bridges.

While they all say the tolls unfairly target those who live outside of Manhattan, subway and bus cuts could actually hurt the outer boroughs even more.

That’s what worries Jonathan Bowles of the Center for an Urban Future.

Subway ridership last year was at its highest level since 1950, and most of this growth is occurring outside of Manhattan and in Manhattan above 96th Street.

“The outer boroughs have been driving the city’s population increase,” Bowles said.

“As Manhattan become more expensive, the outer boroughs are where a lot of young professionals, immigrants and the middle-class are living.”

They’re not just using the subway, either. Between 1998 and 2008, a whopping 82 percent of the growth in bus ridership occurred outside of Manhattan.

“The frequency of transit service hasn’t kept pace with this growth, and I’m very worried that if the proposed cuts get implemented it could create a near-catastrophe,” Bowles said.

“The last thing you want to be doing when you have record ridership is cutting service.”

While announcing a $670 million high-speed rail project upstate, Paterson said Albany might yet find the funds to prevent the fare hike and service cuts before they’re enacted at next week’s MTA board meeting.

“The Senate is still working on the plan,” he said.

Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith wouldn’t be rushed yesterday. “You know we have until March 25,” he told reporters.

PATRICK ARDEN