The results of the Fall 2024 Customers Count survey are in!
The Fall 2024 biannual Customers Count survey was conducted from October 14 to October 31, 2024. The survey received over 82,000 responses. We received more than 79,000 subway line, 24,000 bus route, and 3,500 Access-a-Ride evaluations from over 40,000 NYCT customers. The LIRR heard from 21,854 respondents and Metro-North from 13,867.
The survey targeted customers who use any of our modes of transit: subways, buses, commuter rail, the Staten Island Railway, and Access-a-Ride Paratransit. The survey was offered in nine languages, and included a phone option.
The goal of the survey was to get feedback from our customers on their satisfaction levels and to identify changes compared to previous reporting periods. We also sought to gain a deeper understanding about key drivers of customer satisfaction that influence customer behaviors as well as feedback on their satisfaction with service, our staff, cleanliness, security, and more.
Hearing directly from our customers lets us better understand their biggest concerns and prioritize issues that we need to address, with the goal of bringing more customers back to our subways, buses, and trains.
Here are some of our findings:
Subway
Subway satisfaction increased in the Fall 2024 Customers Count survey to 49%, a two-point increase from the Spring 2024 survey. The overall increase in satisfaction was likely driven by gains in safety perceptions since the Spring 2024 survey. The percentage of customers feeling safe on trains and in stations both increased. 56% of customers feel safe on trains, up from 45% in the spring, and 51% of customers feel safe in stations, up from 44%. 58% of customers were satisfied on board trains, a four-point increase in on board satisfaction from Spring 2024. Other perceptions of service attributes remained consistent, with 54% of customers satisfied with service reliability, 45% satisfied with the frequency of delays, and 42% satisfied with waiting times.
To further improve subway satisfaction levels, customers continued to suggest addressing service reliability, experiencing fewer people behaving erratically in the system, and reducing quality-of-life incidents in the subways.
Buses
Overall bus customer satisfaction (local, limited and Select Bus) decreased four points from Spring 2024, to 53%. At borough level, satisfaction decreased in Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island, but remained consistent in the Bronx. Customer satisfaction with service reliability and wait times both dropped four points, a decrease in satisfaction with two attributes that are important to customers. Though customer satisfaction with their bus route decreased three points from Spring 2024, it remained higher than overall bus satisfaction, at 64%.
Customers in Brooklyn mentioned wait times and more reliable service as what needs to improve to increase their satisfaction, while Bronx customers focused more on crowding, fare evasion, and cleanliness.
Overall express bus customer satisfaction increased two points to 69%. Satisfaction increased six points to 63% for Staten Island customers, who make up 45% of the sample.
Access-a-Ride
Satisfaction with paratransit remained on par with Spring 2024 at 67%. Satisfaction was six points higher compared to Spring 2022. Flexibility increased as something that needs to improve with AAR service in order to increase satisfaction, to 53%, behind service reliability at 59%.
Important drivers of customer satisfaction, including satisfaction with on-time pickup and travel times, showed no change or decreased. Satisfaction with on-time pickup stayed flat at 64%, and travel times decreased three points from Spring 2024 to 71% satisfied.
Long Island Rail Road
Customer satisfaction with the Long Island Rail Road increased significantly in Fall 2024. Overall satisfaction on the LIRR reached 76%, a six-point increase from Spring 2024. The LIRR’s efforts to improve on-time performance and the transfer experience are key factors in the improvement.
Several attributes of customer satisfaction saw increases. Satisfaction with transfer experience increased six points to 63%. Satisfaction with service reliability increased two points to 82%. Satisfaction with peak service frequency rose four points to 71%. Satisfaction with on-time performance increased by two points to 78%. Several other attributes saw increases, including satisfaction with frequency of delays and seat availability.
After the implementation of new strategies to improve LIRR restrooms, customer satisfaction with restroom cleanliness is up, both for restrooms at stations at 73% and for restrooms on board at 45%.
Metro-North Railroad
85% of customers reported being very satisfied or satisfied with Metro-North overall, an increase from 83% in Spring 2024. Service-related attributes drive this satisfaction, including high customer satisfaction with service reliability, on-time performance, peak service frequency, and seat availability. Satisfaction with the Hudson Line was the highest, increasing three points to 86%. The Harlem Line improved to 85%, up two points, and the New Haven Line increased one point to 84%.
