T ridership reaches low point of decade

Ridership on the T during the first half of this year hit its lowest level this decade, counter to a national trend of increased transit use as the economy recovers from the 2001 recession and terrorist attacks.

The MBTA's buses, subways, and commuter trains are carrying about 100,000 fewer passengers per workday now than in the peak period over the last five years. The loss of customers means less fare revenue, contributing to the projected $20 million deficit the agency faces this fiscal year.

Daniel Grabauskas, who took over in May as general manager of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, says decreasing ridership is a significant problem and vows to make the T more customer friendly to reverse the decline.

''Ridership is a measure or metric of the success of the MBTA," he said. ''We can't rely on it being so awfully congested on the highways that people will take the T. What we have to rely on is making it a positive experience.

''We will boost ridership when we focus on reliability, cleanliness, accessibility."

But, unlike some other transit agencies, the T is not planning an extensive marketing blitz to woo more riders. Grabauskas is betting customers will notice the enhanced T and help create a ''buzz."

The Globe analyzed ridership data obtained from the T for the first half of 2005 and the five previous years. This year the MBTA has logged an average 1.12 million weekday boardings, the lowest of any six-month period examined. Ridership this year is down 8 percent compared with the recent peak in the second half of 2000, when daily boardings averaged 1.22 million.

A significant drop in subway ridership is the culprit for the overall decline. This year's average of 598,200 daily subway riders is down 15 percent from the second half of 2000.

Bus and commuter rail ridership, on the other hand, have increased slightly -- 1 percent and nearly 3 percent, respectively, over the same period.

These numbers are estimates calculated by the T; it is impossible to count exactly how many people get on buses and trains each day. But T officials say the figures are consistently tabulated each month, so they are confident that comparisons over time are accurate.

The T counts on fares to finance about a quarter of its $1.27 billion annual budget. In a much-criticized move in January 2004, it raised the base subway fare from $1 to $1.25, and also hiked other fares. T fares, however, remain among the lowest in the nation.

Grabauskas said the T is in the midst of numerous investments to overhaul one of the nation's oldest transit systems: buying new buses, all air-conditioned; eliminating tokens and agents hidden behind booths in favor of ticket vending machines and roving customer-service agents; overhauling aging commuter-rail cars; replacing all Blue Line trains and extending platforms; starting rapid-bus service to Logan International Airport; and fixing decrepit elevators and escalators. Taken together, he said, the upgrades should attract more passengers without the need for a glitzy ad campaign.

Some area lawmakers interviewed said they'll leave the approach up to Grabauskas, but they expect results.

State Representative Martha Walz, a Boston Democrat, said the numbers show ''the transit system is not meeting the needs of its riders."

Ridership at transit systems across the country dropped in 2002 and 2003 as the economy soured, said Mary Trupo, spokeswoman for the American Public Transportation Association. But as employment has rebounded, so has ridership in many cities, she said. Data collected by the association show a 2 percent increase nationally in transit ridership from 2000 to 2004.

Grabauskas said the economy is partly to blame for the drop in riders. Massachusetts has not regained all the jobs lost during the recession earlier this decade. Because of more vacancies in downtown office buildings, parking is cheaper than several years ago as garages lower rates and offer promotions to entice commuters.

Getting to central Boston is now easier for some commuters after the Interstate-93 tunnels opened in 2003. Grabauksas, however, did not cite the Big Dig as a factor in the ridership decline.

Walz, who lives in the Back Bay without a car, said the ridership drop could have been worse if it weren't for the new Silver Line bus service and improvements to commuter rail lines in the past five years.

Representative Carl Sciortino Jr., a Somerville Democrat, said lower fare collections could lead to more cutbacks. The T eliminated Night Owl bus service last month to save $1.4 million a year.

An estimated $559 million proposal to extend the Green Line to Somerville and Medford, which the T predicts will add 10,000 to 14,000 riders a day, must move forward, he said.

State Transportation Secretary John Cogliano, who serves as MBTA board chairman, said the state is committed to more improvements. Nearly half of the $31 billion in Governor Mitt Romney's 20-year transportation plan, unveiled in March, is slated for transit, he said.

Cogliano, who rides the commuter rail to Boston daily from Mansfield, said he supports Grabauskas's focus on the basics to make the T more desirable for commuters.

''We have to make sure it's something they want to ride," he said. ''When folks are in a car with working air-conditioning and the trains run on time, that's the best advertising you can have. If you have happy riders who find the system comfortable, that's better than putting an ad in the paper or a commercial on TV."

Lucas Wall can be reached at lwall@globe.com.