Teaneck resident is New York City's billionth subway rider of 2023

Brian Jones of Teaneck was crowned 2023’s billionth New York City subway rider after tapping into the 175 Street station on Tuesday at 10:54 a.m., said a statement from Gov. Kathy Hochul.

This milestone of a billion riders comes six weeks earlier than it did last year, when the subway system hit a billion riders on Dec. 27. Overall, subway ridership has grown consistently throughout 2023, the governor said.

Jones received a $100 OMNY value card, an OMNY T-shirt, an OMNY button and a city subway map glasses cleaner for taking his momentous ride.

“This has kind of been a reintroduction to the subway for me,” Jones said. “I just took a new role here in New York. I have been working virtually for the last three years, so it was great to return on the tail end of that gap and to see that I can tap my debit card and walk right through the turnstile.”

As a New Jersey resident commuting into the city, he said the subway is a big part of his daily routine.

“The subway has always been a part of my day and will continue to be a part of my day, and it’s great to experience these improvements as the journey continues,” Jones said.

Hochul attributed the growth in subway usage to the improvements that have been made, including the installation of the OMNY card system.

“We have made historic investment enhancing service and safety on the subways, encouraging millions of riders into the system every day. Hitting the one billion mark far ahead of last year is a testament to our work, and I am excited to see us break ridership records week after week,” Hochul said.

As of January 2021, the OMNY fare-payment system was installed at all 472 subway stations in the city, with a goal of phasing out the MetroCard by the end of this year, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority said.

MTA acting Chief Customer Officer Shanifah Rieara credits the OMNY system for some of the subway’s recent ridership levels, saying, “It’s great to be celebrating yearly ridership milestones earlier and earlier, and it's more evidence of customers turning to the subway to get them where they need to go. It’s easier than ever to ride on the subway with OMNY as more and more customers are tapping away.”

If you use the New York City transit system for your daily commute, visit the MTA website to see recent updates to the subways, trains and buses. Send in your rider feedback through the MTA Customer Satisfaction Survey.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Teaneck NJ resident is NYC's billionth subway rider