page_title: COVID-19 pandemic in New York City
section_title: Public transport
hierarchical_section_title: COVID-19 pandemic in New York City / Government response / Public transport
caption_attribution_description: English: New York City transit bus. 177th Street near Devoe Ave, Bronx, NY. Route sign reads, "Masks Required"
context_page_description: The first case relating to the COVID-19 pandemic was confirmed in New York City in March 2020 by a woman who had recently traveled to New York City from Iran, a country already seriously affected by the pandemic at the time. Nearly a month later, the metropolitan area was the worst-affected area in the country, with its medical infrastructure overtaxed. By April, the city had more confirmed coronavirus cases than China, the U.K., or Iran, and by May, had more cases than any country other than the United States.
  On March 20, the governor's office issued an executive order closing down non-essential businesses. The city's public transportation system remained open but experienced crowding due to reduced transit service and an increase of homeless persons seeking shelter on the subway.
  By April, hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers were out of work with lost tax revenues estimated to run into the billions. Low income jobs in the retail, transportation and restaurant sectors are especially affected. The drop in income, sales tax and tourism revenues including hotel tax revenue may cost the city up to $10 billion.
context_section_description: New York City issued new commuter guidelines following the start of the outbreak, asking sick individuals to stay off public transit, encouraging citizens to avoid densely packed buses, subways, and trains. Beginning March 25, service on buses, subways, and commuter rail was reduced due to decreased ridership. Ridership had decreased by 92% on April 8, when 41 Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) workers had died. By April 22, 2020, COVID-19 had killed 83 agency employees; that number had increased to 131 by late August. the agency announced that their families would be eligible for $500,000 in death benefits.
  On April 20 four City Council members requested that subway service be temporarily suspended, saying that reduced service had resulted in crowding on the subway and that entire cars had been taken over by homeless people. The request was to shut down the subway was initially rejected by the governor's office and criticized by interim New York City Transit President Sarah Feinberg. Starting in May 2020, stations were closed overnight for cleaning; the overnight closures would be a temporary measure that would be suspended once the pandemic was over. Of the approximately 800 homeless people on the subway system, about half have been willing to accept offers of assistance from the city government. On June 8, 2020, regular subway and bus service resumed with Phase 1 of the city's reopening, though the overnight subway closure remained in place.
  Jeffrey E. Harris, a member of the economics faculty at MIT, has said the service cuts "most likely accelerated the spread of coronavirus." In his study published on April 15 he argues that public transportation was a "major disseminator" of novel coronavirus in New York City. The MTA has said the study was "flawed – period." The advice to continue taking public transportation given by city officials during the early stages of the pandemic is now believed to have contributed to the intensity of the outbreak in New York City.
  The MTA will be supplying real time information to riders about crowding to help riders plan their trip. Riders will be expected to wear face coverings, and high traffic stations will have hand sanitizer dispensers and PPE vending machines. Staggered shifts and remote work are expected to relieve some of the pressure of crowded subway cars.
caption: New York City transit bus. 177th Street near Devoe Ave, Bronx, NY. Route sign reads, "Masks Required"
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