The New York City subway system experienced unprecedented ridership over Halloween and the New York City Marathon weekend, setting new records. On Sunday, 3.14 million riders used the subway, marking an all-time high for a Sunday and surpassing the previous year's record by 11%, according to Governor Kathy Hochul and the MTA. The preceding Saturday, Halloween, saw 3.59 million passengers, the highest single-day Saturday ridership since 2016. Even the Thursday before the weekend set a post-pandemic record, with 4.72 million riders.
"From the streets to the subways, New Yorkers were on the move this weekend in record numbers," Hochul stated in a press release. MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber added, "These record-breaking numbers show once again that when New York goes big, it goes by mass transit." The MTA had deployed additional subway services in anticipation of the increased demand.
Despite the celebratory numbers, many passengers voiced significant complaints on social media regarding dangerously crowded platforms and lengthy delays. Videos circulated showing packed stations, particularly at West 4th Street and Second Avenue on Halloween night, with users describing conditions as "not for the weak." Riders expressed frustration, with one social media user writing, "Service was woefully inadequate given how many people were using the system. When is the MTA going to learn!?" Others noted that train frequencies were insufficient, with wait times of 20-30 minutes on Halloween and significantly longer for some lines, like the 6 train at Union Square, where an estimated wait time was 24 minutes.
The MTA noted that these recent milestones follow other post-pandemic ridership records, including a weekday high of 22.32 million passengers between October 19 and October 23, and 27.87 million over a seven-day period during the same week.