There were 509,000 more daily subway and bus riders on an average weekday in May 1998 than in May 1997 - an overall 9.8% increase in ridership.

* Of the 509,000 added daily riders in the last year, 306,000 are on the buses - a 22.2% increase in ridership.

* Weekday bus service increases (planned for this September) add a total of only 298 daily scheduled trips - a .5% increase in service (298 added trips out of a base of 43,000 daily bus trips).

* Bus ridership is up 39% since 1996 (with 1.22 million bus riders on an average weekday in May 1996 compared to 1.69 million in May, 1998.

* There has been only a 6% increase in scheduled service between 1996 and the middle of 1998: A total of 2,598 daily scheduled bus trips have been added out of a base of 43,000 daily scheduled trips, according to NYC Transit records.

* Of the 509,000 added daily riders in the last year, 203,000 are on the subways - a 5.3% increase in ridership.

* Weekday subway service increases (planned for September) add only 10 daily trips on three lines - for less than a .2% increase in service (10 added trips out of 6,300 daily trips).

* Subway ridership is up 14% since 1996 (with 3.53 million subway riders on an average weekday in May, 1996 compared to 4.03 million in May, 1998).

* There was only a 2% increase in service between 1996 and 1997, with vehicle revenue miles increasing from 299.3 million in 1996 to 304.1 million in 1997, according to the MTA's 1999-2003 Strategic Business Plan. Straphangers Campaign

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