Playlists Curated by MTA Leadership and Transit Riders to Coincide with 24/7 Subway Reopening
Songs include Together Again by Janet Jackson, If You Had My Love by Jennifer Lopez, Everywhere by Fleetwood Mac
Listen to Playlists Here (Requires Spotify)
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority today launched new #TakeTheTrain Spotify playlists to welcome back riders to the system. The five curated playlists, which can be found on the MTA’s Spotify page, are part of the Authority’s multifaceted communications and marketing campaigns, #TakeTheTrain and #TakeTheBus, aimed at bringing customers back to the system.
The release of the MTA’s music playlists follow the resumption of 24 hour service and an upward trend in subway, bus and commuter rail ridership. On Friday, May 14, the MTA saw post-pandemic records on the New York City Subway, with 2,265,489 trips, the Long Island Rail Road with 104,885 trips, and on Metro-North with 85,684 trips that day. Combined Subway and bus ridership reached 2.3 million riders for the first time since the onset of the pandemic a year ago.
Each playlist has a different theme with music spanning a wide array of genres and decades. Songs include Together Again by Janet Jackson, If You Had My Love by Jennifer Lopez, Spice Up Your Life by the Spice Girls, Everywhere by Fleetwood Mac, Heroes by David Bowie and Don’t Stop Me Now by Queen. The playlists are as follows:
Curated by Railfans: The MTA asked its Instagram followers for their favorite songs to listen to while riding the rails.
Songs for Your First Ride Back: Hop on board and listen to these songs whether it’s your first ride of the week or your first ride back since the pandemic began.
Executive Session: This playlist is composed of favorite songs of the MTA agency presidents.
Songs to Zone Out To: Use your commute time to relax and regroup with this chill out playlist.
Made in New York: Songs from your favorite native New Yorkers.
“After a year of unprecedented challenges, we’re thrilled to welcome back customers to the cleanest system ever,” said Sarah Meyer, MTA Chief Customer Officer. "These playlists are a small but heartfelt gesture of gratitude to our returning customers. We’re glad to have you back and we hope you enjoy the ride.”
Riders are returning to the cleanest subway system in memory. The MTA has undertaken unprecedented cleaning and disinfecting protocols in the year since the pandemic began to ensure that the system is as safe as possible for its customers. The Authority has also rolled out robust public education campaigns and issued millions of masks to its customers. Mask usage in the system remains high, with more than 98% of customers wearing a mask when riding mass transit.