METRO Magazine Logo
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

PATH Ridership Reaches 76% of Pre-Pandemic Levels, Sets New Post-COVID Record

Port Authority logged its busiest post-pandemic day in November as commuter rail ridership climbed 3.1% year over year.

January 6, 2026
Image of construction workers working on a rail site.

The Port Authority plans to make major service increases across the PATH rail system beginning in 2026. This photo shows track replacement work between the Journal Square and Harrison stations in October 2025.

Photo: The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey

2 min to read


The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey announced that its PATH commuter rail in November reached 76% of pre-pandemic ridership and recorded its busiest single day since the pandemic.

In November 2025, PATH continued to regain ridership lost during the COVID-19 pandemic. On Thursday, Nov. 20, the system welcomed 246,594 passengers, which was a new single-day post-pandemic ridership record. It surpassed the previous record of 243,848 passengers set just two months prior.

Ad Loading...

Throughout the month, PATH welcomed approximately 5 million passengers. This was a 3.1% increase from November 2024 and was 76.2% of pre-pandemic November 2019 levels.

Average weekday ridership in November 2025 was 210,325 passengers, the fourth-highest for any month since the pandemic. It was 6.5% higher than average weekday ridership in November 2024.

Weekend ridership in November 2025 surpassed pre-pandemic levels. The month’s average Saturday ridership of 117,658 was 9.6% above November 2019. Average Sunday ridership of 84,149 was up 9.2% from November 2019.

PATH welcomed 55.6 million riders over the first 11 months of the year. The total surpassed the same period of 2024 by 6.1%.

Air, Port, and Crossing Traffic Reflect Shifting Demand

Other transportation modes also saw increases in volume. According to a release, commercial airports welcomed 11.2 million passengers during the airports’ third-busiest November, buoyed by the agency’s busiest Thanksgiving travel period ever.  

Ad Loading...

This was the agency’s third-busiest November ever, down 3.7% from the record for the month set in November 2023. November 2025 volume declined 2.6% from November 2024. The year-over-year decline was largely due to Federal Aviation Administration staffing challenges amidst the most recent government shutdown.

The Port of New York and New Jersey maintained its status as the nation’s second-busiest port for loaded containers both during November and over the first 11 months of the year. It handled 509,124 loaded twenty-ft. equivalent units through the month and a total of 5,520,444 units from January through November.

Volume at the agency’s vehicular crossings in November decreased 0.01% from 2024 and decreased 0.6% from pre-pandemic 2019 levels. From January through November, 111.3 million eastbound vehicles used the agency’s six vehicular crossings.

More Management

Railby StaffFebruary 2, 2026

Chicago Region Transit Ridership Grows in 2025

The region’s fixed-route system finished out the year with a total of 373.5 million rides. Adding 12.3 million rides over 2024 represents an increase that is equal to the annual transit ridership of Kansas City.

Read More →
New Mobilityby StaffJanuary 30, 2026

Chicago's Pace Expands VanGo Mobility Program

The service is a flexible, reservation-based transit service designed to close the first- and last-mile gaps and connect riders to employment for just $5 per day.

Read More →
A blue and white graphic with text reading "Foothill Gold Line: Design Contract Award & 2026 Board Leadership."
Managementby StaffJanuary 30, 2026

Foothill Gold Line Board Awards Claremont Extension Design Contract to Parsons, Maintains Board Leadership for 2026

Parsons wins the $60M Claremont Extension design contract as the Foothill Gold Line board reaffirms leadership during a pivotal project phase.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Technologyby StaffJanuary 29, 2026

Houston METRO Introduces RideMETRO Fare System

The upgraded system, which went live earlier this month, supports METRO’s METRONow vision to enhance the customer experience, improve service reliability, and strengthen long-term regional mobility.

Read More →
Managementby StaffJanuary 29, 2026

Valley Metro Sees Strong Ridership Growth in 2025

The agency ranked top five among mid-sized U.S. transit systems, defined as agencies with 15 million to 50 million annual trips.

Read More →
A b2x rewards logo and graphic reading "Read. Learn. Earn."
Managementby StaffJanuary 29, 2026

Bobit Business Media Launches B2X Rewards to Engage Transit Industry Professionals

The new program rewards B2B audience readers for engaging with trusted content and suppliers, earning them points toward events, travel, and more.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Busby StaffJanuary 29, 2026

Subway Customer Satisfaction Reaches Record High, New York MTA Says

The subway system saw increases across all key metrics, with 62% of subway riders reporting they feel satisfied with the system overall.

Read More →
Busby StaffJanuary 28, 2026

New Orleans RTA Reaches Agreement with ATU

The agreement provides competitive wages and reflects strong labor-management collaboration, positive working relationships, and a shared commitment to building a world-class transit system for the community, said RTA CEO Lona Edwards Hankins.

Read More →
Managementby StaffJanuary 27, 2026

Keolis Retains Virginia Railway Express Contract

The new contract for Keolis and VRE will commence in July 2026, with the potential to expand to 15 years.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Busby StaffJanuary 27, 2026

California's OCTA Advances 2026 Initiatives Centered on Balance and Sustainability

The priorities are outlined in the 2026 Board and CEO Initiatives and Action Plan, which serves as a roadmap to guide the agency’s work throughout the year and ensure continued progress and accountability on voter-approved transportation investments and essential mobility services.

Read More →