The NYC subway has been in a celebratory spirit this fall and commemorating pretty big numbers.
In late October, the system turned 120, and several weeks after its anniversary, the transportation hit another record milestone: one billion riders in 2024 thus far. Michael Carrasquillo of Brooklyn was the lucky straphanger to reach the extraordinary number (and receive free MTA souvenirs) — and to think, the year isn’t even over yet.
“There’s no better way to get around New York City than taking the subway, and we’re proud to be setting post-pandemic ridership records while investing in major new initiatives that will modernize our transit system,” Governor Kathy Hochul said in a press release. “We’ve also doubled down on our commitment to making mass transit safer, ensuring that every New Yorker experiences the standard of safety and service they deserve.”
While yes, it’s easy to complain about stalling and delays, and we all have our least favorite and most favorite subway lines, we have to take this number into consideration to truly understand its scope: in 2023, U.S. airlines recorded 862.8 million passengers on domestic and international flights. Before the pandemic hit, 926.4 million U.S. passengers were recorded in 2019. This 2024 subway stat — which isn’t quite back its typical post-pandemic ways — still had more riders than flyers in the entire country for both 2019 and 2023. It’s mind-boggling when you stop to think about it.
Additionally, the press release states that October 2024 was the busiest October for New York City Transit since the pandemic, with nearly 114 million subway rides and over 40 million bus rides, 10 million more subway rides, and 3 million more bus rides than the previous year. It’s safe to say NYers aren’t letting anything stop their travels. Now, please stand clear of the closing doors.