So why am I linking to this Times subway story?
N.Y. / REGION
Stop by Stop, Subway’s Decline and Growth in 2009
By MICHAEL M. GRYNBAUM
Published: April 25, 2010
Last year was a time of uncertainty and change, and a closer examination of life on the city’s underground reveals a curious resemblance to the uneasy life above the surface.
…because of this paragraph
Rides originating at the Mets-Willets Point stop, abutting newly built Citi Field, fell 8.5 percent, ranking among the biggest 25 declines……
Read the rest here.
I don’t see how a large portion of this ridership drop wasn’t expected. Citi Field has 27% (21% if standing-room # are used)less capacity than Shea. Given the increase in average ticket prices, a decline in “cheap seat” subway mobile fanship should have been anticipated.
And, while Yankee Stadium also had a reduction in capacity (only about 8%), the area subway station also has a significantly larger number of annual residential ridership than Willets Point. Lets face it, not a lot of people ride the 7 to go to the chop-shops.
it’ll go up this season because the team will contend, and McFadden’s will probably do some away game specials that’ll draw traffic on off-days and the offseason/Football type stuff.
You can also take into account the fact that a lot more people took trains the precious years because parking was a nightmare with the citi field constuction.
Team stunk, plain and simple. High price of tickets and bad team, people stayed home.