There are some signs New York is returning to normal. But the data shows the city has a long way to go. The figure from MTA data shows the number of riders on various forms of public transportation last Wednesday. Subways, buses, and commuter trains all have about half the riders they did pre-pandemic. Commuting is at very low levels on LIRR and Metro-North, suggesting many people are not coming into the city for work anymore. This is one reason why business districts are still nowhere near their normal levels of activity. However, bridge and tunnel usage (traveling by car) is nearly back to pre-pandemic levels. The return of office life may take years, if it ever fully recovers. But even if people do start to go back it seems they are still reluctant to travel on trains, either because of crime or virus concerns.
Source: MTA
Allison Schrager is a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute. Follow her on Twitter here.
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