More riders hopped on the subways than buses in 2010 — but either way, it was a long ride for straphangers who endured the worst service cuts in decades.

Total ridership underground was the second-highest since 1950, at 1.6 billion — that’s 1.5 percent, or 24 million trips, more than in 2009.

Total bus riders decreased by 2.8 percent from 2009, a drop of about 20 million trips.