LIRR, Metro-North ridership grows

Ridership grew on the Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North for the third consecutive month in November, MTA officials announced Thursday.

Both railroads also saw more travelers in the first three weekends of this month than in the same time period last year, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority said.

The LIRR reported a 3.8 percent increase in ridership during the month of November, when it served 252,000 more customers than in November 2010. December weekend ridership so far was up 8 percent, as compared with the same period last year.

"The November increase in ridership is significant," railroad president Helena Williams said. "We will have to wait and see if ridership continues to grow in the new year, but it is certainly a positive trend for us."

Metro-North ridership also increased significantly during November. Total ridership from points east of the Hudson increased 3 percent as compared with November 2010, the fastest rate of ridership growth observed this year, officials said. Metro-North carried almost 200,000 more customers than in November 2010.

Customer counts from Grand Central Terminal showed Metro-North carried an average of 151,000 customers to and from New York City on the weekends of Dec. 3-4, 10-11 and 17-18, marking a 9.2 percent increase from 2010.

"For years, Metro-North has been expanding weekend service during the holidays and people have been voting with their feet," Metro-North president Howard Permut said.

SEE PHOTOSLIRR trains and commuters through the years

With the increase in November riders, it was the first time the two railroads have seen three consecutive months of increases since 2008, an MTA spokesman said.