#Subway ridership surges since NYC coronavirus shutdown eased

Subway ridership was 75 percent higher last week compared to the weeks of New York City’s coronavirus shutdown, stats touted by Mayor Bill de Blasio on Thursday show.

Bus trips, meanwhile, which outpaced subway trips for much of the pandemic period, were up 57 percent last week compared to the shutdown period.

“These are really striking figures,” Hizzoner said, while touting the city’s role in the MTA’s overnight subway-cleaning closures.

More New Yorkers opted to ride buses than subways for 80 days in a row during the depths of the pandemic, as subway trips fell over 90 percent compared to pre-pandemic levels.

But MTA stats show the tables have turned: Bus ridership only outpaced subway ridership for only one weekday this month.

The return to subways has even outpaced the increase in car trips, as measured by the crossings over the East River and Hudson River bridges, the mayor said.

“For the first time in a while, we now see subway ridership surpassing bus ridership overall,” de Blasio said, “which means more and more people are feeling confident that they can go into the subway and stay safe.”

Gov. Andrew Cuomo ordered non-essential businesses to close and put New York on lockdown on March 20, as the number of coronavirus cases and deaths in the state soared.