While the rest of New York City’s transit system has seen a decline in ridership, the State Island ferry — NYC’s cheapest cruise — has seen a rise in ridership, the SI Advance reports. From the article:

The ferry has seen a 10 percent rise in riders over the past three years, as the flagging economy drove many budget-conscious commuters off increasingly expensive express buses and onto the free orange boat to Manhattan.

Of course, droves of new riders have created some drawbacks: apparently catching a power nap or purchasing a tall boy for the ride home is getting next to impossible.

Subway and bus ridership dropped in 2009, for the first time in six years, according to the New York Times. Media reports are suggesting the loss is due to the recession.

But riders that we spoke to at the 72^nd Street station say that’s not the only reason. Columbia student Tyler Kim says he’s been taking taxis more often because he doesn’t feel safe on the train at night.

Still, most riders say they’re sticking with the MTA. In New York City, what choice do you have?

Take a look at what riders told us turns them off about the tracks and what keeps them coming back. Then let us know what you think about the system.

– Simone Sebastian

The MTA released its ridership figures for 2009 yesterday.  Apparently there were over 63 million fewer rides on the system than in 2008.  The system total is still a respectable 2.31 billion, but it represents the first annual drop since 2003.

Fault is, of course, the great recession and the effect job-loss has on the need to use the train every day.

The diminishing ridership comes in the face of budget shortfalls and service cuts.

Still, anyone standing on overcrowded platforms between 7 AM and 9 AM is forgiven for wondering how those 63 million extra passengers fit on to the already overcrowded trains.

Check out NY1 for a news clip.

Mayor Bloomberg is taking issue with retired transit workers free train passes the New York Post reported today. The mayor’s office compiled the numbers after a caller into his weekly radio show asked him to. According to the article:

• About 15,000 retired transit workers get the free pass
• At full value the cards cost the MTA at least $16 million annually
• NYC transit rider numbers were not provided but between Metro-North and LIRR riders, approximately 11,600 passes are given out to former employees and their spouses
• As part of their pensions, transit retirees generally get the cards at age 55

It’s worth noting that the budget gap the MTA is trying to close is estimated at approximately $1.2 billion. Were the pass program to be eliminated, it would represent a little over 1% of what the MTA needs to make up.

amNY reported this morning that MTA officials aren’t filling cleaning shifts when employees call out sick. From the article:

Unfulfilled duties include day-to-day cleaning, deeper scrub downs and garbage pickup on the rails at major hubs like 34th Street, Times Square and 14th Street, the documents show. The problem is especially bad at night and when it snows, as cleaners sometimes have to shovel, union official said.

The question, of course, is do riders even notice?