2.11 Million Riders on Marathon Sunday; 2.45 Million Riders on Saturday, Setting Saturday Record Third Week in a Row
Paratransit Carries 100 Percent of Pre-Pandemic Ridership on Saturday, with Over 16,000 Scheduled Trips
View Photos from Marathon Sunday Subway Service
View Video from Today's News Conference
Governor Kathy Hochul today announced the Metropolitan Transportation Authority New York City Subway reached 2.11 million yesterday, surpassing the previous pandemic-era Sunday ridership record set on June 26, 2022, of 2.01 million, and 84 percent of the pre-pandemic baseline for the comparable second Sunday of November in 2019. The ridership was 12 percent more than last year's marathon Sunday subway ridership of 1.89 million, and 13 percent more than the previous Sunday ridership of 1.88 million.
"With record-setting weekend ridership in each of the last three weeks, our public transit's recovery from the darkest days of the pandemic is staying on track," Governor Hochul said. "Commuters, students, tourists and marathon runners all know the best way to get around New York City is our world-class transit system. Riders are continuing to come back to the subway, and we're investing in cops, cameras and care to ensure our riders get the best possible experience throughout the system."
The record-breaking Sunday, on the day of the 51st running of the New York City Marathon, was preceded by yet another Saturday post-pandemic record. On the eve of the NYC Marathon, 2.45 million people rode the subway, surpassing last Saturday's record of 2.44 million. In addition to the third straight record-day on the subways Saturday, paratransit also set a record. On Saturday, paratransit carried 100 percent of its pre-pandemic baseline with 16,800 scheduled trips.
The records come on the day that MTA officials had announced plans to reduce planned maintenance-related service changes in the subway system to ensure New Yorkers could move around the city with minimal disruptions on marathon Sunday.
MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber said, "This city and region are built on the success of mass transit. You always hear me say it's like air and water for New Yorkers, but it's true. I never doubted the NYC Transit team would get it done. Big weekends like this are what New York is all about. New York City's comeback is alive and well. Anyone who was out on the street or in the subway yesterday could feel the energy and excitement."
New York City Transit President Richard Davey said, "The best way to travel through New York City on Marathon Sunday is on the subway, and New York City Transit planned ahead to minimize planned service changes due to track work on a projected busy Sunday for the Transit system, and these ridership results show the decision was worth it. The reduction in planned service changes helped encourage ridership, and it also means that those who rode the system had a faster and more reliable trip."
New York City Transit Weekend Subway Czar Jose LaSalle said, "Our crews were especially attuned to ensure that the only delays yesterday were momentary and that there were no obstructions to people's ability to get to the starting line, or to zig-zag across the city to watch their friends and relatives run in the marathon. Although runners faced relative high heat and humidity for early November, things ran smoothly underground as we concentrated on moving people throughout the city safely and efficiently and emphasized making connections between post-race trains."
Kerin Hempel, CEO, New York Road Runners said, "With 50,000 runners and millions of spectators lining the course, the TCS New York City Marathon depends on the MTA to help ensure everyone has a great experience. New York Road Runners appreciates the MTA's partnership to ensure race day runs as smoothly as possible so that runners and spectators can get around the city and bring their energy to this world class event."