Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo announced on Monday, May 3, that the MTA will resume 24-hour subway service in New York City beginning Monday, May 17.

In April, MTA New York City Transit officials announced 2,009,025 trips were recorded on the subway on April 8, the first time that more than two million trips were taken on the subway since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in the city.

The resumption of 24-hour service will coincide with the governor’s announcement lifting the 12 a.m. food and beverage service curfew for outdoor dining areas. “COVID-19 is on the decline in New York City and across New York State, and as we shift our focus to rebuilding our economy, helping businesses and putting people back to work, it’s time to bring the subway back to full capacity,” Cuomo said.

“We reduced subway service more than a year ago to disinfect our trains and combat the rising tide of COVID cases, and we’re going to restore 24-hour service as New York gets back on the right track. This expansion will help working people, businesses and families get back to normal as the city reopens and reimagines itself for a new future.”

On May 6, 2020, New York City Transit began closing for disinfection between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. daily. According to agency officials, the MTA provided free alternative transportation options to essential workers during the overnight hours that included a significant expansion of bus service across the city and for-hire vehicles as necessary.

Almost a year later, MTA chairman and CEO, Patrick Foye, said that at this critical moment for New York’s recovery, the governor and the MTA recognize that the time is now right to safely restore overnight service on the subways. “The city’s economic revival hinges on a strong mass transit system – and a vital part of that is round-the-clock service,” he said.

He added, “The MTA stands ready to power New York through this crucial next stage, as it has throughout the pandemic, prioritizing safety above all. Our rigorous disinfecting protocols remain in place, and we expect to see continued high mask usage thanks to the systemwide mask mandate.”

Meanwhile, Sarah Feinberg, interim president of New York City Transit, said that overnight workers like waiting staff, bartenders and others depend on the subway to get home late at night. “We’ve been moving them for the last year by bus and I’m thrilled that we can once again provide them with safe and efficient overnight subway service as well, as more COVID restrictions on businesses are lifted,” she said.

She added, “We take our duty to keep riders safe seriously – which is why our mask mandate and disinfecting regimen will continue, and we will keep pressing the City to provide the police and mental health resources needed to accommodate returning customers. New Yorkers – including our heroic workforce – deserve nothing less.”

On February 15, 2021, the governor announced that the MTA would partially restore overnight service on the subway, pending continued positive trends in New York’s COVID indicators. Effective Monday, February 22, the MTA duly extended late-night subway service by two hours, moving to a 2 a.m. to 4 a.m. closure daily.

MTA officials said the agency has undertaken unprecedented cleaning and disinfecting protocols in the year since the pandemic began – and leveraged innovative technology – to ensure the system is as safe as possible for its customers. According to the agency, “more than 75 percent of its customers agree the subway has never been cleaner.”

Norwood News previously reported on the industrial style cleaning efforts undertaken at 205th Street in Norwood last year.

MTA officials said the agency is also continuing to work with FEMA for reimbursement of eligible COVID-related costs. The agency rolled out a public education campaign last year amid the pandemic and issued millions of masks to its customers. The agency reports that mask compliance in the system remains high, with more than 97 percent of customers wearing a mask when riding mass transit.

Video courtesy of José, a subway passenger.

On February 14, 2021, Foye and Feinberg sent a letter to Mayor Bill de Blasio and Police Commissioner Dermot Shea requesting 1,000 additional NYPD officers to be deployed to the city’s subway and bus systems, following a spate of knife attacks that had occurred over the course of previous months across the City’s subway system.

The full text of the letter read as follows:

“Dear Mayor de Blasio and Commissioner Shea:

As you know, we have been calling for additional policing for the subway and bus systems for over a year, and a much greater focus on mental health care services and interventions for many months.

We want to thank Chief O’Reilly for her continued partnership during this time, and for the responsiveness following the tragic and shocking crime spree that occurred on the a Line Friday night. Our hearts are broken for the victims and for their families. We commend NYPD’s work that led to a quick apprehension and later charging of the suspect, and we will continue to do everything we can to assist your efforts.

We believe the additional 500 officers you agreed to dedicate to the subway system is an important first step, which will help ease the fears of customers and the heroic transit workers who serve this city every day.

We believe more is needed, however, and so we are writing today to request an additional 1,000 NYPD officers be assigned to the Transit Bureau to patrol subways and buses immediately. We request teams of uniformed officers be assigned to every station and that officers ride the system throughout the day and during the overnight to ensure the safety of our customers and colleagues.

The fact is that we all see a disturbing trend above ground and below ground, which as you know began prior to the pandemic, and now has been exacerbated by the acute mental health crisis we are facing. Ridership is down 70% in the subway and 50% on buses, and while overall crime remains on the decline, felony assaults have increased 26.5%.

In 2020, murder and rape – while they remain incredibly rare and represent a small fraction of crime systemwide – doubled from three to six and three to seven respectively. Assaults on our workers, from harassment and threats to physical violence, continue to occur far too often. Every single one of these occurrences is one too many.

The Governor and the MTA Board called for additional police officers in the system when this trend was already evident, more than a year ago, and it remains the right call now. We have also urgently asked for additional mental health resources – including for the 311 service to be expanded to the transit system – and we continue that call today. We know there is more the city can do to get help for those who need it most – these requests must be addressed, and quickly.

Even with current ridership down so significantly, we at the MTA remain responsible for the safe, secure and efficient transportation of millions of people each day – more than all of the domestic airlines combined. It is a huge responsibility and one that we take very seriously – and the reality is that while we provide transportation to millions, we simply cannot also serve as social service providers, nor do we have the deep expertise required. Individuals experiencing a mental health crisis deserve much, much better care and closer attention.

The safety and security of our system remains our foremost priority. We know you share this commitment.”

Over the last year, the MTA also unveiled updates to the subway map that allow riders to find the nearest vaccination site to them throughout the city. See the map here: https://map.mta.info/#@40.70949,-73.97853,14z.