MTA records 11.24 million riders during marathon and Halloween

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority recorded its highest three-day passenger total since the pandemic, moving 11.24 million riders between October 30 and November 1, 2026. The volume exceeded the same weekend last year by 8.4 percent, marking a distinct shift in transit demand during a major city event.

Sunday, the day of the marathon's 50th edition, generated 3.14 million riders. This figure represents the highest Sunday ridership ever recorded for the system. It also marks an 11 percent increase over the previous Sunday record of 2.81 million set during last year's race. The total equaled 109 percent of pre-pandemic Sunday ridership levels, indicating a full recovery of historical demand patterns for that day.

Saturday brought its own record with 3.59 million passengers, surpassing the previous post-pandemic Saturday high of 3.27 million set in May 2026. This volume was the highest for a Saturday since 2016. Friday also set a new post-pandemic benchmark, with 4.51 million trips. That number beat the previous Friday record of 4.4 million established in October 2025.

Governor Kathy Hochul attributed the surge to increased investment in service improvements and security. She noted that major city events rely on a transit system capable of moving millions of people. The data shows that demand remained elevated across the entire weekend rather than concentrating solely on marathon day.

NYC Transit, the operating arm of the MTA, added extra train service to manage the increased load. Staff were deployed to stations near the marathon finish line and other high-traffic areas. The additional resources aimed to facilitate movement for runners, spectators, and residents across all five boroughs while maintaining safety in crowded stations.

The weekend results pushed the weekly totals to new highs. The week beginning October 26 saw 22.62 million riders during the five workdays. The seven-day total reached 29.35 million, surpassing the previous week's figures of 22.32 million and 27.87 million, respectively.

The MTA continues to monitor operational metrics such as punctuality, frequency, and accessibility to sustain user confidence. While the passenger records indicate strong demand recovery, the agency maintains that service reliability remains a core factor in long-term ridership retention.