Has it felt a little more crowded lately during your bus or train ride?
If it has, it’s because the MBTA ridership has continued to grow.
April ridership numbers released today showed that average weekday ridership grew for the 15th consecutive month, making it the longest such streak in MBTA history.
Average weekday ridership last month increased 4.4 percent over April 2011 and reached 1.371 million passenger trips.
Bus ridership also set a record last month when it reached 401,000 weekday passenger trips. It meant average weekday bus ridership topped 400,000 in consecutive months for the first time ever.
T officials credited technology improvements for the increase.
“We’re absolutely convinced that the widespread availability of real time bus data is making public transit a more convenient option for commuters,” said Acting MBTA General Manager Jonathan Davis. “More than a hundred thousand smart phone users have downloaded apps that provide arrival time information for more than 180 MBTA bus routes.”
Davis, in a statement, also credited the state’s continued economic growth and improved employment numbers.
Ridership on the T’s other modes of transportation also increased: Green Line up 8.2 percent over last April; Red, Orange and Blue lines up 3.8 percent; and Commuter Boat up by about 12 percent.
