LIRR commuter ridership not bouncing back

The economy may be bouncing back, but the Long Island Rail Road's ridership hasn't.

The nation's largest commuter railroad carried 500,000-plus fewer riders -- a 1.7 percent drop -- in the first four months of 2011 than during the same period last year, after adjusting for the slightly different number of work days.

So-called commutation ridership, which measures customers traveling west during the morning peak hours and east during the evening peak hours, dropped in each of the first four months, LIRR officials said.

At the same time, New York City's unemployment rate -- an important measuring stick for ridership trends -- dropped from 9.8 percent in April 2010 to 8.6 percent last month.

"Despite the fact that the employment rate continues to grow, the Long Island Rail Road isn't seeing that," Mark Young, the LIRR's chief financial officer, said at a meeting of MTA board members earlier this week. "There appears to be a lag."

The ridership figures through April were dragged down significantly by severe winter weather in January, when ridership fell nearly 6 percent as compared with January 2010, the railroad said. The LIRR had major service disruptions after a Jan. 12 snowstorm.

LIRR president Helena Williams said fare hikes across the MTA enacted late last year also may have cost the agency some customers.

SEE PHOTOSLIRR trains and commuters through the years

"There's an assumption that customers will continue to come back," Williams said at the meeting. "I think we're still feeling some of the impact of customers who faced the last fare increase."

On a month-to-month comparison for 2011 to 2010, the railroad saw small gains in ridership in February and March -- driven by increases in off-peak ridership. But then, in April, total ridership dropped 1.8 percent, with peak ridership down 1.7 percent and off-peak down 2 percent.

With fewer people on its trains, the LIRR lost $2 million in fare revenue, Young said.

Williams said Friday that she was "disappointed" with the April numbers and hoped for resumption of the "uptick in ridership" seen in February and March.

The railroad posted record-high figures in 2008, but ridership dropped in 2009 and 2010.

Mantill Williams, spokesman for the American Public Transportation Association, a nonprofit advocacy group for public transportation based in Washington, D.C., said ridership trends on the LIRR so far this year are similar to those of other major transit carriers. Severe winter weather, combined with fare increases and service reductions necessary to address funding shortfalls, all served to offset employment gains, he said.

But, Williams said, the steadily improving economy, combined with high gas prices, should start driving commuters back to trains -- as long as they're not hit with more fare increases and service cuts.

"If that happens, then it will be difficult to see the growth in ridership," he said. "You have a situation where more people are coming to public transportation, but we're not investing as much in it. We're doing the opposite of what we should be doing."

The MTA last raised fares 7.3 percent in December, and plans another 7.3 percent increase in 2013.

LIRR Commuter Council chairman Mark Epstein said he already has seen some Long Island commuters choose to drive to work -- or to the nearest subway station -- rather than pay for a more expensive monthly railroad ticket.

"They're not happy with doing that because gas prices are up and traffic is up, but it's still a huge savings," Epstein said. "They need to get to work. And I think they'd prefer to take a well-functioning railroad."

Looking ahead to the remainder of 2011, Williams said there is reason for optimism on the trains. The LIRR on Friday began its summer Hamptons service, and she said the trains were packed."In between the price of gasoline and congestion on our roadways, now is the time to use the Long Island Rail Road," Williams said.