The sour economy has pushed straphanger commutes off the rails and onto the couch.
Subway ridership has been down every month of 2009 when compared to the same periods in 2008, according to new MTA numbers.
The stats for April show an average 3.6 percent decrease in the number of rides taken on weekdays, a drop of about 189,000 trips from April 2008.
There was also an average 90,000-ride dropoff this April from the previous month, March.
As a result, the MTA took in $7.4 million less than expected in April. Total intake, including bus fares and tolls, is under budget by $6.6 million this year.
The declining figures are “primarily caused by low ridership from a declining city economy,” the report says.
Nearly 93,000 jobs were lost in the city from April 2008 to April 2009, according to labor statistics.
City employment has been steadily declining since September. Traffic on the MTA-run bridges and tunnels saw steep declines over the past years.
April has been the best month this year for toll collectors, with only 100,000 fewer vehicles taking to the crossings, as compared to April 2008.
Officials also said that people aren’t using their EZ-Passes, although they aren’t canceling them — which means people aren’t giving up on their cars just yet.
People aren’t boarding buses either — there are decreases on both local and express routes.