First Phase of Subway Service Enhancements Included in State Budget Begin This Weekend, Increasing Frequency of Weekend , and Service
Second R211 Train Being Added to Line Following Successful Pilot Run
View Video from Today’s News Conference
View Photos of Today’s News Conference and Train Ride
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) today announced upcoming subway service enhancements starting this Sunday, July 2. The first phase of the previously announced weekend service increase on the , and lines will begin increasing frequency on the three lines with trains arriving every 8 to 10 minutes instead of every 10 to 12 minutes. The enhancements were part of the final FY 2024 New York State Budget and begin a week after a post-pandemic record 4.688 million paid customers rode the subway on Saturday, June 24 and Sunday, June 25 combined.
In addition to the increased weekend service for , and riders, more line riders will get the chance to ride the new R211 train. Following a successful pilot phase, a second R211 train will be put in service starting today. The first R211 debuted on the line on March 10 following a ribbon-cutting at the Inwood-207 St terminal in Upper Manhattan. The R211 cars are a critical part of the MTA's ongoing modernization efforts and feature 58-inch-wide door openings that are eight inches wider than standard door openings on existing cars -- designed to speed up boarding and reduce the amount of time trains sit in stations.
“When we speak to customers about ways the subway can improve, improving weekend service comes up again and again,” said NYC Transit President Richard Davey. “This increased frequency for Brooklyn and Queens riders shows our commitment to enhancing the customer experience, which I have said before is NYC Transit’s North Star. I would like to thank Governor Hochul and the State Legislature for also understanding the importance of improving subway service to attract even more customers back to the system.”
“We continue to forge responsive, customer-centered approaches to our work. This means increasing weekend subway service based on the steadily growing ridership we see. It also means introducing new technology, such as our R211 subway cars,” said NYC Transit SVP of Subways Demetrius Crichlow. “For those who have not had the chance to ride the R211, your chances have doubled after a successful pilot. Beyond the cool experience of riding on a new train car, the R211s give riders and rail fans a modern and reliable riding experience.”
The planned subway service enhancements focus on periods where subway ridership has recovered the highest from its pre-pandemic baseline. Subway ridership overall continues to recover, with the latest trend showing 3.85 million riders on an average May weekday and 2.23 million riders on an average Saturday or Sunday.
Weekend ridership has outpaced weekday ridership in its recovery, with weekend paid ridership nearing 80% of its pre-COVID baseline, compared to weekdays when paid ridership has been around 65% to 70% of the pre-COVID baseline. Last weekend’s post-pandemic Saturday and Sunday record was capped off with 2.215 million paid rides on Sunday, June 25, the highest Sunday total since the pandemic.
“We worked diligently to ensure MTA funding was included in the final budget, and we are already seeing the benefit with the rollout of increased service,” said State Senate Deputy Leader Michael Gianaris. “I look forward to even more improvements in the coming months, including the free bus service we fought for, so the MTA can provide the world class service that New Yorkers deserve.”
“This year's state budget made a down payment on better service for subway riders and the results are just starting,” State Senator Andrew Gounardes. “I'm looking forward to continuing to invest in our public transportation to make it faster, more reliable, and more efficient for New Yorkers.”
“I'm excited about the MTA's improved weekend services on the , , and lines,” said Assembly Member Jo Anne Simon. “I'm proud to have supported the push for state funding to make these changes happen. The increased arrival times on weekends will reduce wait times, improve accessibility, and make our subway system more efficient for millions of New Yorkers. Thank you, MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber, for listening to subway riders and improving their experience.”
“This year's state budget launched us toward an MTA that riders deserve,” said Assembly Member Zohran Mamdani. “In winning $35 million in historic funding for increased subway service on nights and weekends, we secured important victories that will make a real material difference in the lives of working-class New Yorkers. Cutting weekend waits over the next month on the , , and by 2 minutes each will give our constituents their time back, bring more riders onto public transit and out of private vehicles, and make our subways safer. None of this would be possible without the 4,000+ New Yorkers who took action, canvassing their local subway and bus stops, reaching out to their elected representatives, and rallying to Fix The MTA. This is just the first step in our fight for public transit that is excellent, safe, and universally accessible. We’ll continue to work alongside the millions of New Yorkers who depend on the MTA to ensure that all public goods are fully funded.”
“With the investment that the MTA is making today, the train is getting a whole lot better with faster, more reliable service that our communities can depend on,” said NYC Council Member Lincoln Restler. “What we’ve seen that is that Brooklyn-Queens ridership has stayed at much higher rates post-pandemic relative to travel in and out of Manhattan, so this investment in train service is critically important.”
“Behind today's welcome service enhancements are a growing movement of transit riders and a governor and legislature consistently hearing our voices,” said Riders Alliance Deputy Director Caitlin Pearce. “More , and trains, and more increases to come, are a tangible victory for transit riders just a few short months after this year's unprecedented state budget. With more frequent service comes more time to spare, more access to opportunity and a better, more equitable and inclusive city for all New Yorkers.”
“Riders have major service improvements coming their way thanks to the transformative transit investments featured in this year’s budget,” said Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee to the MTA (PCAC) Executive Director Lisa Daglian. “We can’t thank Governor Hochul and our elected leaders in Albany enough for putting transit and its millions of riders first—and the MTA for creating a plan to increase service on nights, weekends, and during the day. The increased service reflect the changes in when we ride and are right in time for congestion pricing – showing not only how taking transit is the better choice, but also how much better it can be with investment in the system. The R211s are an example of what money we expect from Congestion Pricing can buy: they are the trains of the future and they're coming our way. Reliable and frequent service are key to getting riders back on board, critical to our region’s ongoing recovery.”