NEW YORK CITY (PIX11) – Ridership has increased on the subways and commuter railroads since congestion pricing rolled out on Jan. 5.
Between Jan. 5 and Jan. 27, daily subway ridership increased by an average of 7.3% compared to recent years, MTA data show. That’s an average increase of over 214,000 riders per day.
On the LIRR and Metro-North, the change is more dramatic. LIRR daily ridership has increased by an average of 19% compared to the past two years. That means on average, 30,827 more riders are taking the LIRR per day.
Daily Metro-North ridership increased by an average of 13.5%.
Attributing such an increase to congestion pricing is difficult given the volume of regular ridership, MTA officials said. Pandemic recovery and workers returning to the office both contribute to increased ridership, MTA officials said.
“The impact of congestion pricing will again be a little more muddled and more difficult to spot in such a big pool of riders,” Chief of Operations Planning Chris Pangilinan said of the subway system.
Other metrics, like decreasing car travel times on Manhattan-bound bridges and tunnels, more directly signal success for congestion pricing. Faster and more reliable bus times are another sign of success, officials said.
“These are just transformative improvements,” said Juliette Michaelson, chief of policy and external relations. “When it comes to traffic in the zone and when it comes to transit ridership… what we studied, what we expected, what we planned for is what seems to be happening.”
Emily Rahhal is a digital reporter who has covered New York City since 2023 after reporting in Los Angeles for years. She joined PIX11 in 2024. See more of her work here and follow her on Twitter here.
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