What Commuters Can Expect During New York City’s First-Phase Reopening

New York City is finally beginning to reopen for business, which means more commuters will be using public transit — about 200,000 per day, according to Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer, which is a big drop from the 8.3 million daily transit riders pre-pandemic. That’s actually good news for anyone who does need to take the subway, which will continue to run at its current 20-hours-per-day schedule, giving the lessened crush of riders more room to spread out safely in the cars.

The MTA plans to clean cars, buses and every station at least once a day, and you can expect new additions like OMNI touch-free turnstiles and hand-sanitizer dispensers at stations across the city. The city will also hand out masks for the time being.

When commuting via public transit, please wear a mask and keep six feet away from others as much as possible. Be sure to wash your hands for at least 20 seconds before and after your ride. And if you don’t need to commute during rush hour, don’t do it.

photo: iStock