MBTA's 2010 Blue Book is out
The MBTA's annual Ridership and Service Statistics report, a.k.a., "the blue book" was released on May 10.
This report includes a true treasure-trove of statistics through which to pour - most popular / least popular lines and routes, including number of entries and exists, schedules' adherence, types of buses and subway cars in use, etc. This is for all bus, subway, trackless trolley, ferry, and THE RIDE routes.
Top 25 subway stations
Top 25 bus routes
To download your own copy, click on this link. (Warning, .pdf)
www.mbta.com/uploadedfiles/documents/Bluebook%202010.pdf
Oh, and here's an interesting tidbit of information. The T estimates that upwards of 1/3 of riders use an app to check bus/subway schedules on a regular basis. (Source: TransportationNation.org)
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Comments
neat
but adam, your link is broken ;)
Fixed
Pesky http:// ...
Interesting pattern at the top of the list
Three of the top 5 bus routes are former rapid transit lines that have been permanently or "temporarily" (in other words, permanently) shut down (SL5: 1987 Orange Line moved to Southwest Corridor, 39: 1985 Green Line E "temporary" cutback, 57: 1969 Green Line A "temporary" closure). The remaining two are both Harvard-Dudley service.
Former rail lines, not necessarily "rapid transit" lines
Not many folks would consider the street-running A and E branches of the Green Line to be rapid.
If you go back a few more decades, just about every bus route is a former electric streetcar route.
Agreed - the Green Line is
Agreed - the Green Line is NOT rapid transit, except for the D branch. Just look at the transit times, and you'll find that the 57 bus averages about the same speed as the "B" branch of the Green Line.
Well, naturally
That's what happens when the bus and the T stop at the same stoplights all the way down Comm Ave from Blandford to Packard's Corner.
But...
Actually, in my experience the bus is significantly FASTER than the B line between Packard's Corner and Kenmore.
Not always. I've been on 57s
Not always. I've been on 57s that get passed by the non-express B. Usually happens due to traffic or the bus stopping at every single street. Especially when idiots get on the bus at Amory St and ride for 2 stops inbound. Or the bus is so crowded that it takes forever to load and unload.
Fair enough
Fair enough, but the B line can take even longer to load & unload at each stop when it's crowded, and seems to have more stops that are on the wrong side of slow traffic lights.
I'm sure there are plenty of times when the B line beats the 57, but I've been surprised (having also assumed that the streetcar, with its dedicated track, would always be faster) to find that the bus trip is generally faster.
I'm a little disappointed
I'm a little disappointed that the Green Line data appears to be a few years old. There's references to "2007" at the bottom of some of those charts. I suppose it is more difficult to survey surface stations because of massive amounts of back-door boarding (between "Show'n'Go" and fare evaders).
Manual survey
We had a guy out walking around with a card scanner at Harvard Ave on a few days earlier in the year. Maybe that was part of a survey of the kind you suggest?
No, that probably was just a
No, that probably was just a preboarding ticket scan to speed things up. They do that sometimes.