As service cuts are implemented and fare hikes mulled, the MTA is reporting that subway usage is actually on the rise, with ridership approximately 1.2 percent higher than the authority expected it to be. And in a case of splendid timing, this surge comes after the MTA’s on-time performance hit a three-year low last month, with only 59.8 percent of weekday trains arriving on time. So to summarize: hand sanitizer, a hearing aid, and days’ worth of reading material are all pretty much necessary for riding the subway nowadays. [Second Avenue Sagas via Gothamist]
