Crowded L train platform at 1:30 on a Saturday night (Sunday morning)

New York City's subway ridership rose 0.8% in 2012, despite storm Sandy-related shut downs and service disruptions.  According to figures released by the NY MTA Monday, some 1.654 billion riders rode the subways in 2012, 13.7 million more trips than in 2011.

Weekend ridership grew by 3 percent, matching the all-time historic high for weekend ridership set in 1946.

Word comes as the American Public Transit Association reports a record 10.5 billion trips on public transit.

The system was shut for two days around storm Sandy. Eight tunnels flooded, and many lines from Brooklyn to Manhattan were shut for a week.  The system is still not completely restored.

More soon.