How many people use NYC transit a day?

Overview of New York City's transit system The New York City subway has a daily ridership of approximately 2.4 million, and our bus system has a daily ridership of 1.2 million.



As of early 2026, New York City's transit system is seeing a significant resurgence in ridership, following a record-breaking performance in 2025. On a typical weekday, the New York City Subway alone carries approximately 4.65 million passengers, with single-day peaks occasionally trending higher during major events. When you include the city's extensive bus network, which accounts for roughly 1.4 to 1.6 million daily boardings, and the commuter rails like the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) and Metro-North, the total daily ridership for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) consistently exceeds 6 million people. This scale makes it the largest and busiest public transportation system in North America. The system operates 24/7, serving a massive population of commuters, students, and tourists across the five boroughs. While weekday numbers are the highest, weekend ridership has also recovered strongly, often reaching 80% to 90% of pre-pandemic levels. The sheer volume of daily users is a testament to the city's density and its reliance on mass transit as the primary "lifeblood" of the regional economy and daily movement.

People Also Ask

  • The most crowded line at peak appears to be the 2/3 Uptown. ( 4.38 passengers standing per meter squared)
  • The highest throughput individual train is the L (23,987 passengers)
  • The highest throughput line is the B/D/N/Q section through midtown ( 43,550 passengers)


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2022 Total ridership was 52.5 million customers, increasing +50.0% above 2021's 35.0 million ridership.

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Maneuver Manhattan's train system like a local Here, Archer Hotel New York's consummate host offers timely tips on navigating the New York City subway (aka train) system like a boss. LOCAL TIP: New Yorkers typically call the subway “trains” (not underground or metro) or by their alpha name (the C or the Q).

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According to the recent findings of the MTA's Spring 2022 Bi-Annual Customer Satisfaction and Travel Survey, New Yorkers particularly dislike the D train, giving the line a satisfaction rate of barely 40%.

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The New York percent using public transportation from the latest estimates is 28.1% and has fallen 1.1% from 28.4%.

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“New York is doing well because of its comprehensive subway network that operates 24 hours and the fact that trains go to Long Island and New Jersey,” said Jasper de Lange, transportation project manager at Arcadis. “It also scores high in the amount of people who are using public transit compared to a car to commute.”

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Nobody expects the NYC subway to break even or even turn a profit. The subway historically recovers less than 50% of its operating expenditures from fares, compared to 70% for Berlin, 88% for Amsterdam, and over 100% in Tokyo, Taipei, Hong Kong, and Singapore: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farebox_recovery_ratio.

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The A provides the longest one-seat ride in the system—at 32.39 miles (52.13 km), between Inwood and Far Rockaway—and has a weekday ridership of 600,000.

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472 stations After the Second Avenue Subway opened in January 2017, Ahn's previous record was once again invalidated, and the record sat unclaimed for over six years. On April 17, 2023, Kate Jones traveled through all 472 stations, including the Second Avenue Subway stops, in 22 hours, 14 minutes, and 10 seconds.

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All rolling stock, in both the A and B Divisions, run on the same 4 foot 8.5 inches (1,435 mm) standard gauge and use the same third-rail geometry and voltage. A typical revenue train consists of 8 to 10 cars, although in practice they can range between 2 and 11 cars.

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According to the NYPD, subway crime rates have significantly decreased over the years. So, while there's always a chance of encountering some petty theft or occasional subway scuffles, it's generally not an episode of The Purge down there. All aboard the Nostalgia Trains!

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There are several reasons why NYC trains may be slow: 1. Aging infrastructure: The subway system in New York City is one of the oldest in the world, with some lines dating back to the early 20th century. The aging infrastructure can lead to delays and slower train speeds.

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Ground was broken in March 1900 in Manhattan. The construction company chose shallow cut and cover as the excavation method to avoid having to tunnel deep under New York's infrastructure. Wooden planking and bridges covered the construction so that traffic could continue over the tunneling that would go on for years.

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Frequently shortened to simply New York, NY, or NYC, New York City is also known as The City in some parts of the Eastern United States, in particular, New York State and surrounding U.S. states. New Yorkers also use The City to refer specifically to the borough of Manhattan.

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The London Underground (also known simply as the Underground or by its nickname the Tube) is a rapid transit system serving Greater London and some parts of the adjacent home counties of Buckinghamshire, Essex and Hertfordshire in England.

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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.

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About the report on MTA Fare and Toll Evasion Losses 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.

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