Nyc Subway

May 26, 2021

In 2020, NYC subway saw a billion fewer total trips than year prior

Roughly a billion fewer passengers entered the New York City subway system in 2020 than in 2019, according to new data released this week by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. The annual total ridership on the subway in 2019 was 1,697,787,002 passengers and 639,541,029 passengers in 2020. When the coronavirus pandemic hit last spring and Gov. Andrew Cuomo ordered all nonessential businesses to close, both city subway and bus ridership hit record lows. In April 2020, subway ridership hit just 8 percent of what it was in 2019.
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May 21, 2021

Live performances return to the subway as part of ‘Music Under New York’ program

It's music to our ears. Live music will return to subway platforms across the city next month as part of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's "Music Under New York" program. The program, which typically includes thousands of live shows performed each year, will resume June 4, about 14 months after public performances were halted due to the coronavirus pandemic.
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May 17, 2021

24/7 subway service resumes in New York City

New York City's subway system resumed 24-hour service on Monday for the first time in over a year. Last May, Gov. Andrew Cuomo closed the subway overnight as part of a disinfection plan created in response to the coronavirus pandemic. It was the first time the trains closed overnight since the subway first opened 116 years ago. The return of 24/7 service this week comes just two days before most capacity restrictions in New York are lifted and as rates of COVID have fallen across the state.
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May 10, 2021

Vaccines coming to Grand Central, Penn Station, and more subway and train stations

With vaccination rates declining, the state is continuing to come up with incentives for New Yorkers to get the shot, from free Yankees and Mets tickets to free admission to museums. The latest is a partnership with the MTA to bring vaccines to busy subway, LIRR, and Metro-North stations, including Grand Central and Penn Station. Those who receive the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine at these locations will receive a free seven-day MetroCard or two free one-way trips on the LIRR or Metro-North.
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May 3, 2021

Most capacity restrictions to be lifted in New York on May 19

Most state-mandated capacity restrictions in New York will be lifted on May 19, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced on Monday. According to the governor, this means restaurants, stores, gyms, salons, amusement parks, and offices can reopen at 100 percent capacity for the first time in 14 months. The six-foot social distancing guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will remain in effect at these places, which could still limit capacity depending on the space available. In anticipation of the reopening, on May 17, 24/7 subway service will resume.
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March 9, 2021

NYC’s live subway map now includes COVID-19 vaccination sites

Coronavirus vaccination sites located across New York City have been added to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's digital subway map, helping straphangers find the easiest route to their appointments. The map, which launched last October and provides real-time service updates, now features a syringe icon that marks the location of vaccine hubs in every borough.
Details here
February 19, 2021

MTA predicts ‘new normal’ ridership by 2024 that may be 80% of pre-pandemic levels

With New York City having fully vaccinated more than 450,000 people and a vaccine surge expected by April, it's all too easy to start envisioning the good-old-days. But many aspects of city living may never quite be what they were. To account for that, the MTA has predicted a "new normal" ridership that will stabilize "in 2023 and 2024 between 80% and 92% of pre-pandemic levels," according to a press release. And though the agency has staved off subway and bus service cuts through 2022, they warn that they may still eventually make cuts to adapt to reduced ridership.
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February 16, 2021

NYC subway to restore some overnight service

Overnight subway service in New York City will partially resume this month following more than nine months of closure. Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority announced on Monday plans for a phased reopening of the subway starting February 22, which includes closing the system for cleaning from 2 a.m. to 4 a.m. instead of from 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. Cuomo last May ordered the closure of 24/7 service, a first for the system, as part of a rigorous coronavirus disinfection plan and an attempt to slow the spread of COVID-19.
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February 12, 2021

Jerry Seinfeld, Fran Lebowitz among celebs making new COVID PSAs on the subway

Jerry Seinfeld, Edie Falco, Cam’ron, Debbie Mazar, Whoopie Goldberg, Fran Lebowitz--these are just a few of the 25 New York celebrities whose voices were recorded by the MTA for a new set of subway PSAs. The announcements, which begin today, are meant to bring humor and some good old-fashioned NYC swagger to the subway as the city begins its recovery. The project was done in collaboration with Nicolas Heller, a talent scout who has gained notoriety for his popular Instagram account New York Nico. "This was such a dream project and I wanna give a huge thanks to my team who helped make this whole thing happen in less than 6 weeks with $0," he wrote in a post today.
Hear some of the announcements
December 16, 2020

How does the MTA deal with snowstorms? Jet engine powered snow blowers

With a forecast of up to 18 inches of snow, Winter Storm Gail is expected to bring more snow to New York City this week than the five boroughs saw all of last year. In response to the nor'easter, expected to hit Wednesday afternoon, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority has activated its 24/7 command center to monitor the storm. The agency is prepared to clear subways, buses, and commuter railways of snow thanks to its fleet of super-powered snow throwers, jet-powered snow blowers, and specially designed de-icing cars to tackle the icy mess.
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October 20, 2020

MTA launches first real-time digital subway map

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority on Tuesday released a new digital map of the New York City subway system that provides service updates to riders in real-time. As first reported by Curbed, this map uses data from the MTA to update as service changes are happening, allowing users to click on stations and individual train lines to see the actual wait time for the next train. When zoomed in on the map, little gray blocks move along the colored lines, depicting the train's actual movement from station to station. Created by design and technology firm Work & Co., the map modernizes both Massimo Vignelli's iconic 1972 map and the current map designed by Michael Hertz, combining the geometric and graphic design-friendly Vignelli map with the geographical elements of Hertz. The new live map is the first major redesign of the NYC subway map in 40 years.
More here
October 8, 2020

Did you know the MTA had an armored money train that ran from 1951 to 2006?

In order to collect fares from various stations, the MTA created a special armored train that moved all the subway and bus fares collected to a secret room at 370 Jay Street in Downtown Brooklyn. As Untapped Cities learned, the money trains, which ran from 1951 to 2006, had 12 collecting agents and one supervisor, all of whom were armed and wearing body armor. After the Metrocard arrived, the revenue collection system changed, and the final armored train rode in January 2006 on the same day the Money Room closed.
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September 10, 2020

Refusing to wear a mask on MTA trains and buses will cost riders $50

Riders on public transit in New York who refuse to wear a face mask will now be fined $50, Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority announced Thursday. Starting Monday, riders of the city's subway and buses, the Long Island Rail Road, and Metro-North will be subject to the new penalty for not complying with the mandatory face-covering rule, put in place by executive order in April.
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August 26, 2020

Without federal aid, MTA says subway and bus service could be cut by 40 percent

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority on Wednesday laid out a grim plan detailing service cuts and fare hikes that could be implemented without additional federal aid. Without at least $12 billion in funding from Washington, subway and bus service could be cut by up to 40 percent, a devastating blow to millions of New Yorkers and the city's economy. During a board meeting on Wednesday, Chair Pat Foye said the coronavirus crisis has had a far larger toll on ridership and revenue than the Great Depression a century prior.
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August 25, 2020

Inside the stunning, abandoned City Hall subway station

When the New York City subway opened on October 27th, 1904, it was the magnificent City Hall station that served as the backdrop for the festivities, with its arched Guastavino-tiled ceiling and skylights. But by 1945, the newer, longer subway cars could no longer fit on the station's curved tracks, so it was closed. Today, the New York City Transit Museum occasionally offers tours of the abandoned station, which is how photographers James and Karla Murray were able to capture these beautiful photos. Ahead, see more of the station and learn all about its history.
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August 10, 2020

MTA wants Apple to make it easier for users to unlock iPhones with masks on

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority on Sunday asked Apple to develop a more simplistic face-recognition system to prevent riders from removing face coverings to unlock their smartphones while commuting. An update to the company's Face ID feature is currently in the works, but in a letter to CEO Tim Cook, MTA Chair Pat Foye requested the technology be expedited. "We urge Apple to accelerate the deployment of new technologies and solutions that further protect customers in the era of COVID-19," Foye wrote, according to the Associated Press.
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July 23, 2020

Return of 24/7 subway service in NYC would be required under new legislation

In May, for the first time in its history, the New York City subway system shut down overnight as part of a nightly disinfection plan to kill traces of the coronavirus on trains and buses. To ensure the subway resumes 24/7 service, seen as an integral part of the city that never sleeps' DNA, the State Senate on Thursday passed legislation that would require nonstop subway service when a state of emergency is not in effect.
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July 21, 2020

The F train will shut down on nights and weekends for the next 8 months

After one year of service disruptions, the much-talked-about L train "slowdown" wrapped up in April. The MTA has now turned its attention to the F train's Rutgers Tube, which is the last of 11 subway tunnels to be rebuilt after suffering damage from Superstorm Sandy in 2012. Using the same tactics as were employed for the L train, the Rutgers Tube will only be shut down on nights and weekends, affecting F train service from August 2020 through March 2021.
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July 1, 2020

Check out the PPE vending machines that just arrived in NYC subway stations

As of yesterday, the MTA rolled out 12 PPE vending machines in 10 busy subway stations. The machines, which offer reusable face masks, gloves, hand sanitizer, and sanitizing wipes, were installed as part of the MTA's larger effort to keep subways sanitized and safe during the current COVID-19 pandemic.
Check 'em out
June 25, 2020

Crown Heights subway stations to be renamed in honor of Civil Rights icon Medgar Evers

Two subway stations in Brooklyn will be renamed after Medgar Evers College and the Civil Rights activist for whom the historic black college is named. Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Thursday announced that Franklin Avenue and President Street stations in Crown Heights will formally be renamed this fall, with MTA maps and signage updated this summer. The new stations--Franklin Avenue-Medgar Evers College and President Street-Medgar Evers College--aim to honor the contributions of the institution ahead of its 50th anniversary.
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June 10, 2020

800,000 commuters rode the subway on NYC’s first day of reopening

On Monday, the first day of New York City's phase one reopening, more than 800,000 straphangers rode the subway. According to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, June 8 became the highest ridership day since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. The agency said ridership was up during afternoon peak hours between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m., with Manhattan seeing a 20 percent increase in ridership from the week prior. However, this is still just 15 percent of regular ridership compared to last year.
Details here
May 29, 2020

As NYC prepares to reopen, questions about public transit remain

New York City will likely begin the reopening process early next month, with as many as 400,000 employees expected to return to work during this first phase, Mayor Bill de Blasio said this week. While the mayor on Thursday released guidelines for phase one businesses to safely reopen without a resurgence of the coronavirus, no plan has been issued from City Hall on how employees returning to the workforce will commute there safely.
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May 20, 2020

MTA launches UV light pilot program to kill COVID-19 on NYC subways and buses

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority will use ultraviolet light to remove the coronavirus from its subway and bus system, officials announced on Tuesday. For phase one of the $1 million pilot program, the agency will deploy 230 UV light lamps next week on some trains, buses, and MTA facilities. The devices will be used in cars during overnight station closures and at maintenance yards in Corona, Coney Island, Jamaica, and Pelham. If the first phase of the pilot proves successful, the program will expand to Long Island Railroad and Metro-North trains.
See it here
May 18, 2020

MTA adds social distancing markers, considers reservation system for subway and bus

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority last week launched a pilot program to keep commuters socially distanced on subway platforms. The transit authority installed markers on the floors of a few stations on the Upper East Side that encourage straphangers to remain six feet from others to stop the spread of the coronavirus. In addition to new signage, mask requirements, and a vigorous disinfection plan that involves an overnight shutdown of service, the MTA is also considering creating a reservation system for seats on the city's subways and buses to limit crowds.
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May 6, 2020

NYC subway shuts down for first time in history; see the COVID-19 disinfection plan in action

For the first time in its 115-year history, the New York City subway system shut down overnight on Wednesday. The closure, which will occur daily from 1 a.m. to 5 a.m., is part of a new plan to disinfect every car and station to stop the spread of the coronavirus and protect essential workers. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority is increasing bus service to serve essential workers, adding 344 buses to the current 235 that run during that early morning time frame. For-hire car service will also be offered to employees who are unable to use the bus for their commutes.
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