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MTA saw record-high ridership over Halloween, marathon weekend in NYC — but straphangers have complaints
New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority recorded unusually high subway use around Halloween and the city marathon, with the Sunday total setting a record for that day of the week. The surge showed strong demand for mass transit during major events, but riders said crowded platforms and long waits made the journeys difficult and sometimes unsafe.
The subway carried 3.14 million riders on Sunday, 11% above the previous first-Sunday record, and 3.59 million on Halloween, the highest Saturday total since 2016. Thursday’s 4.72 million passengers marked the highest single-day ridership since the pandemic, up 9.7% on the same day a year earlier; the MTA said it added services, while riders reported packed trains and waits of up to 24 minutes.
In short
- Sunday set a first-of-the-week ridership record at 3.14 million.
- Halloween drew 3.59 million subway riders, the most since 2016.
- Riders criticised crowded platforms and delays despite added services.
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The case for
The record ridership suggests New Yorkers are returning to the subway for major events, and the MTA says it added services to meet the surge. High demand can strain the system even when extra trains are running, so the figures also point to mass transit’s importance in moving large crowds.
The case against
Packed platforms, crowded trains and waits of up to 24 minutes made some journeys difficult and, riders said, sometimes unsafe. Record use is a positive measure of demand, but it does not by itself show that service was adequate; riders can reasonably expect capacity and reliability to keep pace with predictable event crowds.
Explained simply
New York City’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority, or MTA, runs the city’s subway and buses. The subway is a major way for residents and visitors to travel, especially when large events draw crowds across the city.
Halloween and the New York City Marathon bring many people onto the streets and public transport. Higher ridership can show that people are returning to the subway, while also putting pressure on trains, stations and the services needed to move crowds safely.