North American Suburban Transit Thread

[Doady]

While modern light rail and novelty streetcar lines in the city centres of North America get all the attention, it is really their suburbs that have been and will continue to be at the forefront of transit expansion and growth, so it is time to discuss what is going on with these system.

Some of the biggest systems, by ridership (boardings), where data is available (to be updated):

Long Island Rail Road: 75.2 million (2023)
Metro-North Railroad: 60.8 million (2023)
New Jersey Transit Rail: 57.2 million (2023)
GO Transit: 56.0 million (2023)
Brampton Transit: 49.2 million (2022)
Bay Area Rapid Transit: 48.1 million (2023)
MiWay: 48.0 million (2022)
Sound Transit: 37.6 million (2023)
Orange County Transportation Authority: 34.4 million (2023)
Metra: 31.9 million (2023)
MBTA Commuter Rail: 26.2 million (2023)
Broward County Transit: 23.7 million (2023)
York Region Transit: 21.5 million (2023)
Bee-Line Bus: 20.8 million (2022)
Pace: 20.1 million (2023)
SEPTA Regional Rail: 19.3 million (2023)
Nassau Inter-County Express: 18.0 million (2022)
Ride On: 16.6 million (2023)
SamTrans: 9.5 million (2023)

Feel free discuss and post news about systems not on this list, including services as part of larger regional agency.

[Doady]

After over a decade of service cuts, Nassau County seems to completely reversed its stance on transit funding.

NICE Bus upgrading service to Nassau Community College

Posted September 8, 2023

By Mark Nolan

Need to catch a bus but tired of waiting? Looking for a better way to get to Nassau Community College?

NICE Bus is increasing frequencies on many routes and upgrading direct service to Nassau Community College. NICE is also introducing new express service from Flushing to Roslyn. The upgrades went into effect Sunday, Sept. 3.

https://www.liherald.com/baldwin/sto...bus-ncc,192302

[Doady]

Massive expansion of GO Transit network underway with main focus on 5 rail corridors
By Nick Westoll
Posted December 29, 2023 4:40 pm.
Last Updated December 29, 2023 9:55 pm.

...
In the years ahead, the goal is ambitious.

“All-day service on five of our core existing lines (Lakeshore West, Lakeshore East, Kitchener, Barrie and Stouffville) in our network. It’s making those trips faster for our customers — up to 10 minutes faster on average across our network — and ensuring that those trips are happening at a higher frequency, up to every 15 minutes,” Davies said.

To achieve two-way, all-day rail service, GO Transit is looking at electrification to run faster trains. The Lakeshore lines are a top priority for that large-scale upgrade.

https://toronto.citynews.ca/2023/12/...nsion-program/

• Video Link

See also: GO Expansion (aka GO Regional Express Rail) (Wikipedia)

[Doady]

Brampton Transit trying to deal with severe overcrowding. Riders getting stranded at stops because the buses are too full.

Brampton making largest transit service hour increase in years, advocates say it won't be enough
2024 budget includes additional 108,500 transit service hours, 136 bus drivers, 83 buses

Saloni Bhugra · CBC News · Posted: Mar 31, 2024 5:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: April 3

Brampton is set to make the largest increase in transit service hours in 15 years as part of its 2024 budget, but transit advocates say it will take years before the city catches up to the growing ridership.

Being one of the fastest growing municipalities in the country, and with growing concerns around affordability, there is an unprecedented demand for transit services in Brampton.

Brampton transit ridership is currently up 30 per cent compared to pre-pandemic levels in 2019, city staff told CBC Toronto in an email statement. But its budget shows the city is investing the same amount in its transit operational funding as the previous year.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toron...dget-1.7158957

128% of pre-COVID ridership in 2023, on pace for 140% in 2024. 31.9 million linked trips in 2019 vs. 40.9 million in 2023 (approximately 60 million boardings or unlinked trips).