The number of paying weekday subway riders averaged 3.6 million in June, according to the MTA, compared with daily ridership of almost 5.5 million in 2019. Inflation and transit crime have also impacted subway ridership.
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Of all people who commuted to work in New York City in 2021, 32% use the subway, 30% drive alone, 12% take the bus, 10% walk to work, 4% travel by commuter rail, 5.6% carpool, 3.1% use a taxi, 1.7% ride their bicycle to work, and 0.4% travel by ferry.
For most riders, the subway fare is $2.90. Reduced fares are available for people 65 and older, people with disabilities, and low-income New Yorkers. Learn more about fares.
Where our operating budget dollars come from. The largest share of MTA revenue — $7.222 billion — comes from dedicated taxes and subsidies the Authority receives from the cities and states that we serve. Another $6.870 billion comes from fares and tolls.
Annual ridership of the New York City Subway 2014-2021In 2021, the number of passengers who entered the New York City Subway system amounted to almost 760 million, a year-over-year increase of around 19 percent amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
For the last 40 years, the MTA has taken out loans to help pay for new tracks, stations, trains and buses — and maintain the ones it already owns. Money from fares, tolls and taxes pays back the lenders, plus interest. That business model worked until the pandemic sent ridership plummeting.
There are a number of reasons for this. Why is the New York City subway losing money? Virtually every public transportation system in the world loses money. Public transportation systems aren't for-profit businesses, they are public agencies, run by the government, intended to provide a service to the general public.
The MTA has the authority to collect fares from the riding public, pursuant to the New York Codes, Rules and Regulations. Riders who enter the subway system or ride buses without paying the fare are subject to a $50 or $100 fine.
NYC MTAbus drivers do not have the authority to let riders ride without payment. Passengers are required to pay the fare or use a valid MetroCard when boarding the bus. Failure to pay the fare may result in penalties or fines.
Up to three children under 44 inches tall ride for free when they're with a fare-paying adult. You pay the fare at turnstiles before you board the train. You don't have to do anything as you exit.
What is the Penalty for Fare Evasion in New York? While jumping a turnstile is still technically a criminal offense, the penalties are relatively light. It falls into the same general category as a parking ticket, and you will be fined $100 if caught. However, you can appeal the decision and avoid paying the fine.
The subway is owned by the city of New York and leased to the New York Transit Authority. It is one of the oldest subway systems and one of the largest in the world, with about 472 stations in operation.
Shanghai has an extensive metro network consisting of 16 lines, covering a total length of over 644 kilometers (400 miles) and serving more than 10 million passengers daily.
New York's Metropolitan Transportation Authority is buried under a $48 billion mountain of debt — and paying it off threatens to undermine the agency's core function: running mass transit for more than 5 million people a day.
About the report on MTA Fare and Toll EvasionLosses to the MTA's operating budget are staggering, with nearly $700 million in revenue not collected in 2022 alone. This includes $315 million lost in bus fares, $285 million in subway fares, $46 million in bridge and tunnel tolls, and $44 million in railroad fares.
The report also found that the MTA lost $690 million to fare evasion in 2022. Joana Flores, an MTA spokesperson, said the AI system doesn't flag fare evaders to New York police, but she declined to comment on whether that policy could change.
The original IRT line opened in 1904, and 116 Street - Columbia University (now a 1 train stop) was part of the first wave of stations that ran from City Hall to 145th Street at Broadway.
The iconic NYC Subway is entirely run on electricity, which means there are no emissions in the tunnels. The passenger mile emissions of using the subway trains are up to approximately 40g, 5 times less than the emissions of cars.