Fifteen Days in October 2015 with Over 6 Million Riders

[Union Tpke]

December 10th, 2015 

It's a new modern record for subway ridership! Preliminary data shows the Metropolitan Transportation Authority reached a when 6,217,621 customers entered the MTA New York City Transit subway system on Thursday, October 29, 2015. The subway system carried 50,000 more customers that day than at its previous record peak, just one year earlier.

“The relentless growth in subway ridership shows how this century-old network is critical to New York’s future,” said MTA Chairman and CEO Thomas F. Prendergast. “Our challenge is to maintain and improve the subways even as growing ridership puts more demands on the system. We are doing it thanks to the MTA Capital Program, which will allow us to bring meaningful improvements to our customers, such as real time arrival information on the lettered subway lines, cleaner and brighter stations with new technology like Help Points, modern signal systems, and almost 1,000 new subway cars.”

The new modern ridership record was set on the last Thursday in October, traditionally one of the system’s busiest days. The previous record of 6,167,165 was set Thursday, October 30, 2014. The new record day was one of five days in October when ridership exceeded the prior year’s record, and was one of 15 weekdays with ridership above 6 million. Daily subway ridership records have been kept since 1985, but the new record is believed to be the highest since the late 1940s.

October 2015’s average weekday subway ridership of 5.974 million was the highest of any month in over 45 years, and was 1.4% higher than October 2014. Approximately 80,000 more customers rode the subway on an average October 2015 weekday than just a year earlier – enough to fill more than 50 fully-loaded subway trains.

Ridership surged on the weekends as well, with the average weekend ridership higher than any October in over 45 years. On Saturday, October 31, 2015, the day of the Village Halloween Parade and a Mets World Series game, 3,730,881 customers rode the subway – making it the fifth-busiest Saturday on recent record.

Ridership continues to spike in Northern Brooklyn, where portions of the  and  lines have added a weekday average of 14,733 customers since September 2014. The system has seen substantial growth south of Chambers St in Lower Manhattan, with more than new 12,357 daily customers added in the last year as new commercial and office continues to open in the area.

Between 2010 and 2014, the subway system has added 440,638 daily customers, roughly the equivalent of the entire population of mid-sized cities like Miami, Fla. or Raleigh, N.C. More customers have led to additional crowding on some lines, creating conditions in which trains are more likely to be delayed, and delayed trains in turn affect more customers than in the past.

As ridership continues to soar, performing necessary maintenance and improvement work while providing good service has become a growing challenge. Work that is typically done overnight and on weekends now affects more riders as ridership grows during these off-peak hours.

The MTA has introduced short-term measures to improve train service this year, including Platform Controllers at strategic locations to help move customers on and off trains quickly, “step aside” boxes to encourage letting customers off the train before boarding, and staging more maintenance crews in locations to respond to problems quickly.

In the longer term, the MTA is adding subway capacity by installing communications-based train control (CBTC), a modern signaling system that allows trains to operate more closely together. CBTC is in operation on the  line and is being installed on the  line, while the next MTA Capital Program will expand CBTC work on the Queens Blvd  and 8 Av lines in Manhattan and the  line in Brooklyn.

When the first phase of the Second Avenue Subway is completed next year, it will serve more than 200,000 customers each day and decrease crowding on the adjacent  lines by as much as 13%, or 23,500 fewer customers on an average weekday.

 

[BM5 via Woodhaven]

When are they gonna stop reaching record ridership? Lol.

[JubaionBx12+SBS]

What do all of these new riders see in the subway system? You would think that the NYC Subway is the best thing since sliced bread with all this increased usage yet in practice it's very inefficient. 

[trainfan22]

What do all of these new riders see in the subway system? You would think that the NYC Subway is the best thing since sliced bread with all this increased usage yet in practice it's very inefficient. 

Its the most efficient way to travel around the city, ESPECIALLY if you're going to Manhattan and within Manhattan.

 

Driving? Good luck finding parking... not to mention the traffic.

 

Ferries? useless unless you live right near the terminal and your destination is near a terminal as well.

 

Buses, slow, get caught in traffic, etc.

 

The city's population is growing, so its no surprise Subway ridership is going up as well.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

Its the most efficient way to travel around the city, ESPECIALLY if you're going to Manhattan and within Manhattan.

 

Driving? Good luck finding parking... not to mention the traffic.

 

Ferries? useless unless you live right near the terminal and your destination is near a terminal as well.

 

Buses, slow, get caught in traffic, etc.

 

The city's population is growing, so its no surprise Subway ridership is going up as well.

Oh please.  I rarely use the subway and I do just fine.  Yesterday, I was able to make a quick trip to Whole Foods near 57th... Took the local bus there and then took another local bus over to the BxM18 and had to wait only a few minutes if that.  The bus is actually more convenient and quicker than the subway for short trips because you can time everything and you don't have to schlepp up and down stairs.

[R3216068E]

Oh please. I rarely use the subway and I do just fine. Yesterday, I was able to make a quick trip to Whole Foods near 57th... Took the local bus there and then took another local bus over to the BxM18 and had to wait only a few minutes if that. The bus is actually more convenient and quicker than the subway for short trips because you can time everything and you don't have to schlepp up and down stairs.

 

Subway vs a slow ass local bus

 

Subway: 1 Local Bus: 0

 

The pwns the Q56 on Jamaica Ave and the Q56 is one of my favorite buses.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

Subway vs a slow ass local bus

 

Subway: 1 Local Bus: 0

 

The pwns the Q56 on Jamaica Ave and the Q56 is one of my favorite buses.

 

 

Subway vs a slow ass local bus

 

Subway:1 Local Bus:0

 

The pwns the Q56 on Jamaica Ave and the Q56 is one of my favorite buses.

That's a poor example... If I have to be somewhere where the subway requires an extensive walk, the bus is probably the faster option.  Furthermore, when I go to Woodhaven for example, the QM15 beats out the by a mile.

[R3216068E]

That's a poor example... If I have to be somewhere where the subway requires an extensive walk, the bus is probably the faster option. Furthermore, when I go to Woodhaven for example, the QM15 beats out the by a mile.

Ummm. ... no If I was at Jamaica Queens and if I wanted to get to Broadway Junction fast I would definitely take the over the Q56 I can give you a million other examples but I'm currently to busy to.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

Ummm. ... no If I was at Jamaica Queens and if I wanted to get to Broadway Junction fast I would definitely take the over the Q56 I can give you a million other examples but I'm currently to busy to.

Sure, and I can give you a million other examples as well of where a bus is faster than the subway.

[BM5 via Woodhaven]

I use the Q32 to get from Manhattan to Queens sometimes, and then transfer to the Q47. I'll do that anytime over taking the overcrowded subway. I have also used the Q60, and then taken the Q38.

 

Subway ridership just keeps increasing, there's gonna be a tipping point eventually where crowds all over are dangerous during most times of the day. Subway infrastructure is limited because of multiple factors. We should try to promote other methods besides the subway. Systems like WMATA already do that, we should follow suit.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

I use the Q32 to get from Manhattan to Queens sometimes, and then transfer to the Q47. I'll do that anytime over taking the overcrowded subway. I have also used the Q60, and then taken the Q38.

 

Subway ridership just keeps increasing, there's gonna be a tipping point eventually where crowds all over are dangerous during most times of the day. Subway infrastructure is limited because of multiple factors. We should try to promote other methods besides the subway. Systems like WMATA already do that, we should follow suit.

I simply refuse to ride the subway unless I have no choice.  If I know traffic will be bad I'll simply leave 20 minutes earlier and I get in just fine.  On the BxM1, 86th street used to be a stop where people would get off for the subway.  Now it seems we often skip that stop entirely and everyone using the express bus is indeed NOT transferring to the subway at all and there's also more people riding.  Given the spike in crime on the subway I don't blame them.  I had a meeting last week... Took the local bus down and simply walked the rest of the way and took a yellow taxi back to my office.  Much more civilized than any subway ride.

[NYCTNostalgia]

Yikes, 6,000,000+ riders, 15 days in a row. I've been taking the & from 34 Street to 116 Street at around 5:30pm for years now and I must say the crowds have become unbearable. You literally cannot fit on the train. Since last year riding the or is impossible (especially the ) so I started taking the to 59 St (or take a long crowded walk thru Penn to the ) for the to 116 St and now recently the and is crowded beyond belief during PM rush and now my only option is to go out and walk to 6 Av for the where crowding is bearable and crowds on the are starting to creep up slowly. I feel like I'm running out of options. I'm not sure if the has a practical solution for this issue, but it's getting really bad.

[Brooklyn]

Its the most efficient way to travel around the city, ESPECIALLY if you're going to Manhattan and within Manhattan.

 

 

Crosstown might get tricky though, but I generally agree with this statement.

 

Tough luck for people who don't live and travel solely in Manhattan, eh?

[Via Garibaldi 8]

Yikes, 6,000,000+ riders, 15 days in a row. I've been taking the & from 34 Street to 116 Street at around 5:30pm for years now and I must say the crowds have become unbearable. You literally cannot fit on the train. Since last year riding the or is impossible (especially the ) so I started taking the to 59 St (or take a long crowded walk thru Penn to the ) for the to 116 St and now recently the and is crowded beyond belief during PM rush and now my only option is to go out and walk to 6 Av for the where crowding is bearable and crowds on the are starting to creep up slowly. I feel like I'm running out of options. I'm not sure if the has a practical solution for this issue, but it's getting really bad.

lol... I have to be in Harlem now a few days a week, and since I have a Metro-North pass, I simply walk to Grand Central and get a train to 125th and then walk from there to my destinations.  The is horrible and requires waiting SEVERAL trains before you can get on one.  The is decent but still.  The can be ok but don't let too many trains be delayed because then it becomes a mess.  Too much of a hassle and there just isn't enough service to accommodate the crowds.  In fact I see A LOT of people just taking Metro-North now up to 125th street.

[checkmatechamp13]

Subway ridership just keeps increasing, there's gonna be a tipping point eventually where crowds all over are dangerous during most times of the day. Subway infrastructure is limited because of multiple factors. We should try to promote other methods besides the subway. Systems like WMATA already do that, we should follow suit.

 

And what would those methods be? With traffic as bad as it is in many areas, you're not going to accommodate trainloads of people with buses. Likewise, aside from certain sections of the LIRR & MNRR off-peak, you don't have much capacity on the commuter rail system either.

 

Yikes, 6,000,000+ riders, 15 days in a row. I've been taking the & from 34 Street to 116 Street at around 5:30pm for years now and I must say the crowds have become unbearable. You literally cannot fit on the train. Since last year riding the or is impossible (especially the ) so I started taking the to 59 St (or take a long crowded walk thru Penn to the ) for the to 116 St and now recently the and is crowded beyond belief during PM rush and now my only option is to go out and walk to 6 Av for the where crowding is bearable and crowds on the are starting to creep up slowly. I feel like I'm running out of options. I'm not sure if the has a practical solution for this issue, but it's getting really bad.

 

You can take the train over to 103rd Street and then take the M116 or M7 over there. (The M116 stops at 106th & Broadway, while the M7 stops along Columbus. If you go to Columbus & 106th, you have the option of both).

 

The train usually has some seats available until 96th Street, when people come off from the express trains. (In any case, it just ends up being 1 stop you'd have to travel)

[NYCTNostalgia]

And what would those methods be? With traffic as bad as it is in many areas, you're not going to accommodate trainloads of people with buses. Likewise, aside from certain sections of the LIRR & MNRR off-peak, you don't have much capacity on the commuter rail system either.

 

 

You can take the train over to 103rd Street and then take the M116 or M7 over there. (The M116 stops at 106th & Broadway, while the M7 stops along Columbus. If you go to Columbus & 106th, you have the option of both).

 

The train usually has some seats available until 96th Street, when people come off from the express trains. (In any case, it just ends up being 1 stop you'd have to travel)

to 103 St for M116... freaking genius! Thank you.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

to 103 St for M116... freaking genius! Thank you.

lol... You're looking to avoid crowds and you're going to take the M116? That bus is infrequent and usually quite crowded.  Some "genius" huh... 

[NYCTNostalgia]

lol... You're looking to avoid crowds and you're going to take the M116? That bus is infrequent and usually quite crowded.  Some "genius" huh... 

Lol funny I take it from 116 St to 5 Av & crowds aren't bad and it runs fairly frequently to me.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

Lol funny I take it from 116 St to 5 Av & crowds aren't bad and it runs fairly frequently to me.

Consider yourself lucky then... 

[BM5 via Woodhaven]

And what would those methods be? With traffic as bad as it is in many areas, you're not going to accommodate trainloads of people with buses. Likewise, aside from certain sections of the LIRR & MNRR off-peak, you don't have much capacity on the commuter rail system either.

They can certain try to garner more express bus usage. With several exceptions, there's room for a lot more people utilizing the current express bus service without increasing service. You get more money in fares that way anyways, since the express bus costs over twice the subway fare.

[checkmatechamp13]

They can certain try to garner more express bus usage. With several exceptions, there's room for a lot more people utilizing the current express bus service without increasing service. You get more money in fares that way anyways, since the express bus costs over twice the subway fare.

 

I agree that they should be trying to encourage usage, but at the same time, it's only going to do so much. Take a line like the BxM4, which got 562 riders per weekday back in 2009 and has been declining ever since (according to the MTA's stats). Even if you quadrupled the ridership, that's still only 2,000 riders. So that's one subway train worth of passengers that you're taking off the Concourse & Jerome lines over the course of the whole day.

 

I mean, think about it, even if the rush hour buses have all 57 seats taken, that's 114 passengers that you're taking off the subway system per hour. That's barely half a subway car.

 

Long-term, the solution is that we must expand our subway infrastructure, both in terms of core capacity, and in terms of outer borough extensions. 

[Union Tpke]

I agree that they should be trying to encourage usage, but at the same time, it's only going to do so much. Take a line like the BxM4, which got 562 riders per weekday back in 2009 and has been declining ever since (according to the MTA's stats). Even if you quadrupled the ridership, that's still only 2,000 riders. So that's one subway train worth of passengers that you're taking off the Concourse & Jerome lines over the course of the whole day.

 

I mean, think about it, even if the rush hour buses have all 57 seats taken, that's 114 passengers that you're taking off the subway system per hour. That's barely half a subway car.

 

Long-term, the solution is that we must expand our subway infrastructure, both in terms of core capacity, and in terms of outer borough extensions. 

 

if the transit system doesn't keep up with the growing population, a lot of people might be priced out and sent out of NYC.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

if the transit system doesn't keep up with the growing population, a lot of people might be priced out and sent out of NYC.

Umm... No... 

[RailRunRob]

Umm... No... 

Umm.. yes that's a valid point on many levels. On the business side my work force isn't able to get to and from work? In a competitive global economy! Why not go to a Austin or London. Better Transit ,tax breaks? You don't think New York's going to lose population over the next few decades if it doesn't keep up? I'm curious to hear your point of view as always!?

[Via Garibaldi 8]

Umm.. yes that's a valid point on many levels. On the business side my work force isn't able to get to and from work? In a competitive global economy! Why not go to a Austin or London. Better Transit ,tax breaks? You don't think New York's going to lose population over the next few decades if it doesn't keep up? I'm curious to hear your point of view as always!?

What you're saying is totally different from what he's saying.  Tell me what transportation has to do with being "priced out of NYC"?? LOL

 

Of course New York needs to keep up with the growing population by improving its infrastructure and its transportation system.  That's a no brainer.  The repercussions are clear... Lost productivity for thousands of businesses as workers can't get in on time or people are stuck in traffic, etc., etc., etc. That still has NOTHING to do with being priced out.  If there's a correlation between transportation and being "priced out" please do enlighten me.