New York City subway ridership reached a new pandemic-era record

After experiencing a significant drop in ridership, the New York City subway system shows signs of recovery. On May 5, 3,497,122 people used the system in 24 hours, setting a new all-time high since the start of COVID. 

Previous record was set on December 9, 2021, with 3.42 million riders, according to the data released by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. The recent increase in ridership is a huge milestone for the New York City subway system, which was significantly affected by the pandemic-fueled slowdown.

Earlier this year, the MTA launched a four-month-long fare-capping program to motivate people to use the subway system. Any subway or bus rider who uses the OMNY payment system and takes 12 trips within a week would be automatically upgraded to an unlimited pass for the rest of the week. 

“New Yorkers are coming back to the system because mass transit is the best way to move around the City and with our OMNY fare-capping options using the system has never been easier,” said MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber. “In partnership with the Governor, Mayor and NYPD, we are addressing safety issues and riders are starting to respond.”

The subway ridership dropped to its lowest level in April 2020, with only 300,000 daily trips, 6sqft reports. Now, the subway system is luring back riders but has not yet reached the pre-pandemic levels of 5.5 million weekday rides. 

In addition, New Yorkers are concerned about subway safety. The rising number of violent incidents, including the recent subway shooting in Brooklyn, turn people away from taking a train. Mayor Adams announced that he would double the number of police officers patrolling the NYC transit system to improve the safety of commuters.

Resources:

“NYC subway ridership hits highest level since start of Covid,” by Devin Gannon (6sqft, 2022)

“ICYMI: Governor Hochul Announces New Pandemic-Era Ridership Record Set On New York City Subway,” by New York City Transit (MTA, 2022)

“NYC Subway Ridership Just Hit a Pandemic-Era High,” by Chris Mench (thrillist, 2022)

“Governor Hochul Announces New Pandemic-Era Ridership Record Set on New York City Subway,” by Governor Kathy Hochul (New York State, 2022)

“MTA says fare-capping for OMNY could become permanent, if it’s popular,” by Stephen Nessen (Gothamist, 2022)