Subway rides hit 4 million for first time since COVID-19 slammed NYC – New York Post
Subway rides hit 4 million for first time since COVID-19 slammed NYC New York Post View Full Coverage on Google News
More than 4 million people either swiped or tapped their way onto the subway Thursday for the first time since the coronavirus slammed into the Big Apple, a new post-pandemic daily ridership record for the financially beleaguered Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
The last time the MTA counted more than four million straphangers on any single day was on Thursday, March 12, 2020, just days before officials ordered the shutdown of schools and all non-essential businesses in a last-ditch effort to contain the virus that would ultimately kill more than 45,000 city residents.
Midweek subway ridership is still just 70% of pre-virus levels, leading to a major budget crunch at the MTA that’s left officials attempting to fill a $600 million budget gap this year.
“Surpassing four million riders for the first time since the start of the pandemic is a testament to the resiliency of New Yorkers and the importance of supporting the nation’s largest transit system,” Gov. Hochul said in a statement.
Her MTA chairman, Janno Lieber, applauded the figures, too.
“At the height of the pandemic, ridership dropped by 90[%], but we kept the system running full tilt to make sure that essential workers could get to hospitals, pharmacies, grocery stores and distribution centers,” he said.
“This record is a testament to the resilience of New Yorkers and a reminder that mass transit is the lifeblood of this city.”
In her budget proposal unveiled this past February, Hochul pitched a MTA bailout package that would include a one-time capital injection of $300 million while requiring the city to chip in an additional $500 per annum.
