MBTA ridership hits 1.3 million per weekday in November for third month in a row

By Amanda Cedrone, Globe Correspondent

MBTA ridership averaged more than 1.3 million per weekday in November, the third straight month above 1.3 million, helping to make 2011 the T’s busiest year since 2008, officials said today.

Ridership last month averaged 1.312 million on weekdays, said MBTA General Manager Jonathan Davis. Average weekday ridership for November 2011 increased by 5.5 percent over the previous November, Davis said. This is the second-largest monthly increase in 40 months, he said.

The largest monthly increase occurred in July 2011, when ridership increased 6.7 percent from the same time the previous year.

T ridership hit 1.348 million in October, and 1.349 million in September, according to data provided by the transit agency.

Davis said the booming numbers are the result of the increasing availability of ridership tools, such as applications for smart phones that tell customers when the next bus or train is coming, and a growing state economy.

“This speaks to a growing economy, and more jobs,” he said. “I think the increase in ridership shows demand for our service. People rely on [the MBTA] to get them to their job, doctors appointments, shopping, and entertainment venues.”

November is the tenth consecutive month that ridership was higher than the same month a year before, Davis said. The last time MBTA ridership significantly decreased was January 2011, when it dropped 2.8 percent from January the previous year, according to data.

The calendar year 2008 was the busiest in T history, with an annual increase of 4.1 percent ridership, Davis said. As of November 2011, ridership was up 3.5 percent for the year, data shows.

“We would expect [growth to continue] as the economy continues to recover,” he said. “We would encourage people, if they haven’t tried the T, to try it tomorrow [when service is free after 8 p.m.]”

The MBTA is facing a $161 million deficit for the fiscal year that begins July 1, 2012, Davis said. Officials plan to start discussions in the new year with the board of directors and T customers regarding the possibility of fare hikes and other service options that would help to close the deficit. At least 20 meetings with the public are planned, said Joe Pesaturo, spokesman for the agency.

“We are committed to having a very open, transparent, and extended public outreach program,” he said.

The Globe reported earlier this month that some proposals would raise the price of trips and passes 20 percent to 50 percent. A fare hike would most likely be implemented in July 2012, but officials are unsure how much it would increase, Davis said. The last time the T raised fares was Jan. 1, 2007.

“At this point in time we need to have the discussion with our board, and go out to our public with the options available,” he said.

Lee Matsueda, an organizer with the T Riders Union, said officials should look for alternatives to fare increases and service cuts, instead of “balancing the books on the backs of riders.”

“We know ridership is great, but it’s short lived if we have another fare increase,” he said. “I hope the MBTA is looking to other alternatives.”

In an organization that has a backlog of about $3 billion in infrastructure reinvestment needs, Davis said, the priority is replacing all of the 30-year-old Orange Line trains, and a third of the 40-year-old Red Line trains.

He is unsure when the project could be implemented, but added it would cost about $1 billion.

“We’re trying to line up financing right now,” he said. “That is the number one priority at the moment.”

Amanda Cedrone can be reached at acedrone@globe.com.