As NYC continues on its road to recovery, the MTA still battles to bring up ridership numbers that were once common pre-pandemic. Good news hit recently as Governor Kathy Hochul and the MTA announced pandemic-era record setting ridership in NYC this week.
Between the Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North Railroad, ridership reached it’s highest numbers since to start of the pandemic. Metro-North reported 158,798 riders on Tuesday, May 10th (61% of 2019’s daily average) and the LIRR reported 178,100 riders on Wednesday, May 11th (62% of 2019’s daily average). Such numbers in ridership haven’t occurred since March 12, 2020!
“Strong and dynamic transportation infrastructure is key to our recovery, and we are working hard to maintain our progress in returning to pre-pandemic levels,” Governor Hochul said. “This ridership
The MTA has put forth many efforts since the start of the pandemic to increase ridership, such as the pilot fare programs and additional train service. Both the LIRR and Metro-North even began to offer reduced and discounted fares on select days and trains.
“Customers are returning to the rails for work, school, and to enjoy all that the New York metropolitan area has to offer. The ridership milestones we reached this week are further evidence of the region’s comeback and the pivotal role transit plays in powering our economic recovery,” said MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber.
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