Let’s Keep It Real Here
As New York City and State have become the epicenter of the coronavirus, and stay at home orders are in place, New York’s MTA (Metropolitan Transportation Authority) announced a significantly reduced schedule on Tuesday that started early today for the entire bus, subway, and surrounding town train systems, but keep service functioning for absolutely essential workers only.
It’s the MTA Essential Service Plan, which allow morning and evening peak service to still continue to operate as normal for healthcare workers, first responders, and other essential workers to get where they need to go, without the usual density on a normal rush hour on both ends, which will be helpful for MTA staff and riders.
Most of the subways will operate on a Saturday schedule, reducing services on some lines to every 20 minutes and every hour overnight, some lines will abandon their express services and operate all local trains only, and other lines will not operate entirely, prompting riders to use alternate trains.
MTA buses will reduce their service tomorrow by 75 percent, and railroad services of LIRR and Metro-North this Friday will reduce service by 68 percent.
MTA service reductions also come as daily ridership has plummeted, by about 85 percent, thanks to non-essential businesses forced to close, and a stay-at-home order put in place, all to stop the spread of COVID19.