DOUBLE-DIGIT RIDERSHIP INCREASES ON NYCT BUSES

MTA New York City Transit's bus ridership was in decline in the 1980s. The transit authority responded with a long term plan to reduce the bus fleet by about 25%. The article examines how the MetroCard changed all that in 1997 with the introduction of free transfers between subway and buses. Bus ridership exploded with annual double digit gains. The organization turned from managing decline to managing rapid growth. As evidence of that, 900 buses have been added to the fleet during the past four years.