NEW YORK (PIX11) – A Brooklyn man received a $100 OMNY gift card from the MTA for being the one billionth subway rider of 2025.
The MTA made the announcement on Tuesday.
“This has been a crazy detour,” said the one billionth subway rider, Zayd Nubani. “I was going to surf the nor’easter today and didn’t expect this to happen. I’m super happy to be the billionth. MTA, you guys are awesome – I ride you every day!”
Nubani, a Greenpoint resident, became the billionth subway rider when he tapped onto the subway system at Lafayette Avenue Subway Station at 10:40 a.m., according to the MTA.
Nubani was presented with a range of MTA swag, including t-shirts, a mug, a tote bag, and a cap. The celebration for the billionth rider reached its peak when a confetti bomb exploded.
The MTA also took the time to note that subway ridership is up and subway crime is down by 31 percent compared to last year.
Matthew Euzarraga is a multimedia journalist from El Paso, Texas. He has covered local news and LGBTQIA topics in the New York City Metro area since 2021. He joined the PIX11 Digital team in 2023. You can see more of his work here.
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