The Only Thing That Can Really Save the Subway: Riders
Today ridership on the subway has crept back up to about a third of its usual levels, from an all-time low of 7 percent last spring. An infusion of billions of dollars in federal aid has kept the Metropolitan Transportation Authority afloat. And the agency, which operates the subway, buses and two commuter rail lines, was further lifted by another $6 billion in President Biden’s sweeping rescue plan.
But the M.T.A.’s long-term survival depends on the return of riders and their fares, which make up the agency’s largest funding source. Nearly 40 percent of the agency’s operating revenue comes from fares, a higher percentage than almost any other major American transit system.
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The uncertainty makes projections challenging, but an analysis by McKinsey & Company commissioned by the M.T.A. found that ridership might eventually reach 80 to 92 percent of prepandemic levels — and not until the end of 2024.
“Commuter culture is going to change,” said Kathryn Wylde, the president of the Partnership for New York City, an influential business group. “People are looking for more flexibility and more options, which improves their quality of life. That’s definitely a legacy of the pandemic.”
Though public health experts generally agree that riding trains and buses is not a major risk factor for exposure to the virus, transit experts say some commuters with the means to do so will still likely steer clear and opt for other ways of getting around — like using cars or bikes — that they turned to during the pandemic.
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/22/nyregion/nyc-subway-coronavirus.html?action=click&module=Spotlight&pgtype=Homepage
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