NYC Sets One-Day Subway Ridership Record

According to the MTA, 6,106,694 customers rode the subway on Tuesday, Sept. 23, the highest ridership ever since daily figures were first recorded in 1985.

That date came two days after the climate change march, a major event that drew hundreds of thousands of people to the city. Sept. 23rd was also the date for the United Nations climate change summit.

Four other September days also saw more than 6 million customers, and the 149 million customers over the month were more than in any other September in nearly 60 years.

The MTA's previous one-day ridership record was set Thursday, Oct. 24, 2013, when 5,987,595 passengers rode the subway.

“This is a phenomenal achievement for a system that carried 3.6 million daily customers just 20 years ago." said MTA chair Tom Prendergast. "As ridership increases, the MTA Capital Program is vital to fund new subway cars, higher-capacity signal systems and improved stations to meet our customers’ growing needs and rising expectations.”

Prendergast's pivot to the agency's capital program is no accident. The MTA's five-year plan has a $32 billion price tag — but the agency can only fund about half of it. A state board has to sign off on the plan. It's already rejected it once — a move that New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo called "part of the dance we go through."

The MTA has been keeping ridership records since 1985. To see the previous 29 records, go here.