Sign of the times: LIRR loses 1 million riders

[WMAveteran]

TRAINS magazine reported the following on March 20, 2009:

NEW YORK - One million fewer rides were recorded on the Long Island Rail Road in January and February when compared with the same period last year, according to a story in the Long Island, N.Y.-based newspaper Newsday. The ridership drop translates into $2.6 million less in fare revenue for the railroad compared with that time period in 2008.

Earlier this week, Newsday reported that ridership on the LIRR, as well as other modes of transportation, began declining in the last quarter of 2008. The drop coincided with the downturn in the economy and growing unemployment. That trend continued through February, which saw a 5.3 percent decline in overall ridership on the LIRR when compared with February 2008, according to figures released this week.