More people rode the New York City subway system on Sunday than on any Sunday prior, the MTA and Gov. Hochul announced.
The annual New York City Marathon — which attracts tourists and runners from all over the world while complicating surface transportation across all five boroughs — is typically a high-water mark for subway ridership.
But this Sunday, on which the 2026 race was held, surpassed all years prior. Straphangers tapped through the turnstiles 3.14 million times, the busiest first day of the week in the system’s recorded history.
Runners run down First Avenue during the 2026 TCS New York City Marathon on November 01, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Caleb Bowlin/Getty Images)
The record-breaking day came after Halloween, which marked the system’s busiest Saturday since 2016.
“From the streets to the subways, New Yorkers were on the move this weekend in record numbers,” Gov. Hochul said in a statement. “The subway is the lifeblood of our city and from Halloween to the marathon, the major events that make New York special simply would not be possible without mass transit.”
In the years since the COVID-19 lockdown brought the subway system to a halt — and clipped many a commute by moving work out of the office — 2019 subway ridership has been treated as a benchmark of the city’s revival.