Subway, commuter rails see overcrowding amid congestion pricing as riders are ‘smashed up against one another’: straphangers

Half a week’s worth of congestion pricing has left straphangers feeling like sardines.

As more commuters opt for public transit to avoid coughing up the $9 toll to enter Manhattan’s congestion pricing zone by car, outraged riders told The Post trains were packed beyond compare last week. 

From Jan. 5 to Jan. 8, the subways saw a daily average ridership of 3.2 million — a 10% increase from 2.9 million during an equivalent period in January 2024, according to preliminary state data. 

The Long Island Railroad and Metro-North also saw ridership numbers jump 14% and 15%, respectively, during the first days of congestion pricing, the state data show. 

While the controversial tolling program appears to be accomplishing its goal of funneling drivers headed below 60th Street in Manhattan onto mass transit, many subway riders bemoaned that they’re now facing a congestion crisis of their own underground.  

“People should have a level of dignity in riding a subway and not be smashed up against one another,” griped Brett Oppedisano, 44, an IT manager at a private school on the Upper East Side who rides the 6 train every weekday.

“I don’t know if they [the MTA] have infrastructural resources to cope with the increased load.”

Nicole Heffernan, a financial services administrator from Bayside, Queens, was shocked she had to wait for a second train at Penn Station almost every day this week during her morning commute, because the 1 and 2 trains were brimming with extra riders.

“I know they’re trying to get less congestion, but then you have to add more train lines to accommodate us riders,” the 33-year-old said. 

City Councilman Robert Holden (D-Queens) tore into the transit agency for failing to prepare.

“Just like gyms in January, public transit is seeing an initial surge, but the MTA wasn’t ready for it,” he said. 

“After New Yorkers endure the ‘wonderful’ experience of being packed like sardines into filthy, feces- and urine-covered, crime-ridden homeless train car hotels, they’ll quickly opt-out as the weather gets warmer.”

Rush-hour riders from the suburbs similarly complained about their own surprise crowds on the commuter rails since congestion pricing kicked in, with conductors instructing passengers to fill in all available seats because of the sudden surge.

“T​he conductors have been talking s–t, [saying] ‘Use the middle seat, the trains are packed more than normal and they’re not changing the schedules,’” said Matt Morneu, 40, who rides the Metro-North into Grand Central Station from Westchester. “Basically, get used to it.”  

But not all transit riders noticed an increase in crowding on their train cars since Sunday. 

White Plains resident Matt Berg had prepared himself for being squished shoulder-to-shoulder with a crush of new commuters on Metro-North this week, but admitted the ridership levels on his routes were “not out of control.” 

“[The MTA] will do checks for total head count,” he said. “They do add on cars as it is affected.” 

The MTA did not respond to a request for comment.