- Local
- Community
- Journalism
Support the independent voice of Phoenix and help keep the future of New Times free.
As we mentioned in a previous post, ridership for the light-rail system fell in May.
Today, Metro released the official figures:
PHOENIX -- METRO ridership totaled 928,259 boardings in May 2009. The average weekday ridership was 33,553, average Saturday ridership was 27,176 and average Sunday and holiday ridership was 20,219.
In April, METRO exceeded one million riders with 1,044,135 total boardings, resulting in an average weekday ridership of 37,386, average Saturday ridership of 32,720 and average Sunday and holiday ridership of 22,694.
METRO attributes the slight decline in ridership to typical reductions in travel regionwide because of summer breaks for ASU and other schools, as well as the departure of winter visitors.
A fare increase on July 1 won't help matters. The one potential demographic for a ridership increase this summer: Folks too wasted to drive.
Keep Phoenix New Times Free... Since we started Phoenix New Times, it has been defined as the free, independent voice of Phoenix, and we would like to keep it that way. Offering our readers free access to incisive coverage of local news, food and culture. Producing stories on everything from political scandals to the hottest new bands, with gutsy reporting, stylish writing, and staffers who've won everything from the Society of Professional Journalists' Sigma Delta Chi feature-writing award to the Casey Medal for Meritorious Journalism. But with local journalism's existence under siege and advertising revenue setbacks having a larger impact, it is important now more than ever for us to rally support behind funding our local journalism. You can help by participating in our "I Support" membership program, allowing us to keep covering Phoenix with no paywalls.
