A Brooklyn resident who tapped into the subway system at Atlantic Ave.–Barclays Center Station at 1:45pm on Monday became the billionth rider.
The rider was identified as Sir Michael Carrasquillo of Prospect Heights, according to a press release. He was honored with four weeks of unlimited subway rides on an OMNY card, along with a commemorative OMNY hat and T-shirt.
“There’s no better way to get around New York City than taking the subway, and we’re proud to be setting post-pandemic ridership records while investing in major new initiatives that will modernize our transit system,” Hochul said. “We’ve also doubled down on our commitment to making mass transit safer, ensuring that every New Yorker experiences the standard of safety and service they deserve.”
The subway in October saw its busiest month since the pandemic, with nearly 114 million subway rides and more than 40 million bus rides. These figures represent a substantial increase over the previous year, with 10 million more subway rides and three million more bus rides than in October 2023, the press release said.
"I was flabbergasted and humbled," Carrasquillo said about the moment he found out he was the one billionth rider.
The surge in subway ridership coincides with similarly strong performances from Metro-North Railroad and Long Island Rail Road (LIRR). Both railroads saw post-pandemic record numbers, with Metro-North averaging 230,400 weekday trips and LIRR averaging 261,900 weekday trips. Weekend ridership on both railroads also exceeded pre-pandemic levels.
Metropolitan Transportation Authority Chair Janno Lieber credited the agency’s success to the support of Governor Hochul and the New York State Legislature for investing in increased service when other parts of the country were making cuts.
“The MTA is proud to be the engine that moves and powers New York and we’re welcoming riders back in record numbers," he said.
