Commuters wait to board a New Haven Line Metro-North train in July 2023.
File Photo by Aliya Schneider
Suburban railways Metro-North and the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) saw a dramatic increase in ridership every day since the launch of congestion pricing on Jan. 5, according to state data.
Metrics on the New York State open data portal show that ridership on both commuter lines is way up from the same period last year — before the tolls were in effect.
The Long Island Rail Road
The railway connecting the Big Apple to Nassau and Suffolk Counties saw increased ridership last week on both weekends and weekdays.
The LIRR saw an estimated ridership of only 96,683 on Jan. 5 this year, compared to 199,441 on the same day in 2024. However, it is important to note that Jan. 5 fell on a Sunday this year, compared to a Friday in 2024.
Similarly, ridership on Monday, Jan. 6, this year was 229,503, compared with 92,741 on Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024.
A clearer picture emerged when comparing weekdays from both years; 239,444 people rode the LIRR on Wednesday, Jan. 8, this year, compared to 208,960 on Jan. 8 in 2024, which was a Monday. That represents a 14.6% jump in ridership this year.
Similar metrics rang true on Thursday, Jan. 9, this year, when 229,804 riders took the LIRR versus 213,699 riders on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024 — a 7.5% increase.
Metro-North Rail Road
Just like the LIRR, ridership on Metro-North was up last week on both weekends and weekdays for the commuter rail, which connects Grand Central Terminal to Westchester County and parts of Connecticut.
When comparing the first two Sundays of January year over year, there were 22,481 more riders this year compared to 2024.
Weekday ridership also increased this month so far. According to the data, 209,550 passengers rode Metro-North on Wednesday, Jan. 8, this year compared with 184,150 on Monday, Jan. 8, 2024 — a 13.8% increase.
Approximately 198,894 passengers rode the commuter rail on Thursday, Jan. 9, this year, compared with 188,888 on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024. That accounts for a 5.3% increase.
Meanwhile, NYC subways and buses also saw increased ridership almost every day since Jan. 5. State data shows that NYC Transit ridership went up last week from the same period last year, before the $9 base toll into Midtown and Lower Manhattan went into effect.
Better service
As public transportation use increases, advocacy groups are calling for better service.
“New York’s families need faster buses,” said Jolyse Race, a Riders Alliance senior organizer, after Mayor Eric Adams’ State of the City address on Jan. 9. “It’s the mayor’s job to deliver the fast, reliable bus service New York’s families deserve. Yet just like four years ago, New York’s buses are the slowest in the nation.
She also said city bus riders are more likely than the average New Yorker to be single parents and parents of young children.
“Hundreds of thousands of students depend on city buses to get to school,” according to Race. “Caregivers for children, seniors and people with disabilities rely heavily on bus service.”
While official MTA data on the toll program’s impact on traffic has yet to be announced, early tracking shows mixed results. Some areas have experienced smooth rides, while others saw higher-than-average traffic congestion.