New York City Subway sets record ridership March 16

The New York City Subway set a ridership record on March 16 with 3,946,310 paid rides. This tops the previous record set on December 8, 2022, by 11,000 rides. The last time the subways carried more than 3.94 million riders was March 12, 2020, when 4.1 million New Yorkers rode the subway.

"People are coming back to our subways as we have made critical investments in service and safety," said New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said. "The MTA is the lifeblood of this city, and these ridership numbers demonstrate that New York is continuing to make a strong comeback."

 The record ridership comes as the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) contactless fare payment system, OMNY reached a major milestone as well. On March 16, subways registered a new high for OMNY taps with 1.638 million, surpassing the previous high set the day before, March 15, when 1.61 million subway customers tapped at the turnstiles. March 16's record, combined with the OMNY taps registered on buses, surpassed the two-million mark on a single day for the first time.

"Two million OMNY taps in one day is a significant milestone for the MTA and also another reason we are creeping up on the four million subway rider mark. People who have tried OMNY know, easy tap-and-go with OMNY is the best way to ride the subway and bus, and I am thrilled to see customers making the switch to OMNY in record numbers,” said MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber.

OMNY's continued growth

OMNY continues to grow in market share among New York City Transit (NYC Transit) customers, with the first one million tap day reached in April of 2022. The MTA reached the 500 million total OMNY tap milestone in September of 2022 when a customer tapped in at Grand Central Terminal. OMNY has now processed cards issued in 192 of the 195 countries that issue bank cards.

OMNY customers now consistently comprise nearly half of all subway riders, with a 40 percent market share of paid rides. Nearly 100 percent of all OMNY transactions are made on customers' own personal devices or cards, making the MTA unique among North American transit systems.

In October, OMNY was rolled out to Reduced-Fare customers, who can now make the switch from MetroCard to riding with their personal device or contactless card.

"Seeing so many riders return, and using OMNY to do so, is a vote of confidence in all the measures NYC Transit has taken to provide faster, cleaner and safer service. New Yorkers are savvy commuters; they understand the layers of convenience of OMNY brings. From the "Lucky 13" program that can net free rides, to skipping the line by paying with your personal device or card, it is tailored for the hustle and bustle of the city,” said NYC Transit President Richard Davey.

 "Customers are endorsing the ease and convenience of OMNY in growing numbers. As we continue to help more Reduced-Fare customers and other riders switch to OMNY at Customer Service Centers throughout the system, more and more customers will be tapping their way into the system in the weeks and months to come,” said MTA Acting Chief Customer Officer Shanifah Rieara.