First Time Since 2019 That New York City Subway Ridership Has Surpassed One Billion Riders
Ridership Has Grown by 240 Million From 2021
All MTA Agencies Saw Significant Ridership Growth in 2022
More Than 425 Million OMNY Taps on the Subway in 2022
Capping a year of robust recovering ridership, Governor Kathy Hochul today announced the Metropolitan Transportation Authority New York City Subway has provided one billion trips in 2022. The billionth customer was identified as Sasha Salazar from the Bronx who entered the 161 St-Yankee Stadium 4 station turnstiles this morning.
"We have been working hard to bring customers back by providing safer, cleaner, and faster service, and hitting one billion riders in 2022 is evidence that our work is paying off," Governor Hochul said. "New Yorkers and tourists alike continue to flock to the subway, proving there is no better way to get around New York City than mass transit."
The milestone marks the first time the New York City Subway has carried one billion customers in a calendar year since 2019. The subway carried 760 million customers in 2021 and 640 million in 2020. Average daily subway ridership is currently hovering at nearly 60 percent of 2019's pre-pandemic levels, when the system carried 1.698 billion riders.
The MTA's OMNY fare-payment system also experienced usage growth in 2022 with more than 425 million taps. This increase in subway rider market share for OMNY follows the introduction of the "Lucky 13" fare-capping program, the rollout of OMNY for the MTA's Reduced-Fare customers, and the continued expansion of OMNY cards in retail locations.
MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber said, "In 2022, customers have voted with their MetroCard swipes and OMNY taps, and hundreds of millions have returned to the subway. Hitting this milestone, one billion subway riders in 2022, demonstrates again how essential mass transit is to New York City's economy and continued recovery from the pandemic."
The MTA has recorded strong ridership growth in all agencies in 2022. Through October 31, the latest date for which comparable all-agency non-preliminary data is available, subway ridership is up 38.6 percent over similar year-to-date data for 2021, New York City Buses are up 13.4 percent, Metro-North Railroad is up 65.9 percent, the Long Island Rail Road is up 56.9 percent, the Staten Island Railway is up 47.0 percent, Access-A-Ride is up 11.3 percent, and traffic on MTA Bridges and Tunnels is up 7.0 percent.
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