You are reading

MTA Reduces Subway, Bus and LIRR Service As Ridership Numbers Plummet

(Wikipedia)

March 26, 2020 By Christian Murray

The MTA has cut service as ridership has reached historic lows as most people– with the exception of essential workers– are staying home.

MTA Chairman and CEO Patrick Foye announced Tuesday that the agency was implementing the MTA Essential Service Plan, a reduced schedule that is in line with plummeting ridership. The changes to bus and subway schedules went into effect Wednesday, with the LIRR schedule changing Friday.

“As you know, as the pandemic has continued to intensify across New York, ridership has sunk to never-before-seen lows,” Foye said. He noted that subway ridership is down 87 percent and bus ridership by about 70 percent. Metro-North and LIRR ridership levels are down by a similar amount.

“Our top priority continues to be to ensure that these essential workers — first responders and others — can do their jobs,” he said. “In consultation with these groups, we have made a decision today to implement what we are calling the MTA Essential Service Plan to ensure that that continues to happen.”

Subways are now operating at 75 percent of their normal service under the new plan. The MTA is maintaining its morning and evening peak service, although some lines will no longer be running Monday through Friday, such as the B, W and Z.

Starting Friday, March 27, the Long Island Rail Road will be operating at 65 percent of normal daily service. Morning and evening peak hour service will be maintained.

email the author: news@queenspost.com

One Comment

Click for Comments 
Sara Ross

It’s amazing that even when the subways, trains and buses are jammed and people are as close together like sardines in a can, the MTA says they’re losing money. Yet, everyday during this crisis, there are still train, signal, door and disruptive passenger problems.

Reply

Leave a Comment
Reply to this Comment

All comments are subject to moderation before being posted.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Recent News

Rego Park sex offender pleads guilty to charges of sexually exploiting young girls on Long Island: Feds

A convicted sex offender from Rego Park pleaded guilty to sexual exploitation of a child and admitted to soliciting and receiving sexually explicit images and videos from four young girls during a plea hearing in the federal courthouse in Central Islip on Friday. Anthony Pangallo, 41, faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 25 years’ imprisonment and up to 50 years in prison.

According to court filings and statements during the plea proceeding, Pangallo was initially arrested on May 20, 2021, at his Rego Park residence, on state charges filed in Westport, Connecticut. Those charges, which remain pending, involved a 15-year-old victim whom Pangallo met online and manipulated into sending him sexually explicit images of herself.

Queens Together launches ‘Unofficial US Open Dining Guide’ encouraging fans to sample restaurants along the 7 line

Aug. 20, 2025 By Shane O’Brien

The US Open returns to Flushing Meadows Corona Park this Sunday, with more than 1 million attendees anticipated to take mass transit to the iconic annual tennis event. With hundreds of thousands of fans set to take the 7 out to the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, there is a world of delicious local eateries lying beneath the elevated train tracks should any fan wish to stop en-route to the US Open.

Can Queens’ food scene thrive with both trucks and restaurants?

Aug. 19, 2025 By Jessica Militello

In Jackson Heights at 4 p.m. on a Thursday afternoon, Roosevelt Avenue is buzzing with energy as commuters file in and out of subway cars and onto the street and cars and trucks grapple to get down the busy road. The street is filled with rows of shops and restaurants, along with food carts, street vendors and food trucks along the avenue. The almost-but-not-quite the weekend lag leaves hungry commuters faced with another choice to make throughout their day and the array of food truck options in busy areas like Jackson Heights offers customers convenience and delicious food without breaking the bank, two features that can feel vital, particularly with rising costs of living and pressure from inflation.