New York City Subway to Resume 24 Hour Service May 17, Cuomo Says

Most capacity restrictions will be lifted across the tri-state region on May 19, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said.

New York City will again have 24-hour subways, boosting transportation options for workers as the most populous U.S. city inches toward normalcy.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the largest mass-transit network in the U.S., will resume round-the-clock subway operations on May 17, Cuomo said Monday. The state-operated transit agency has been urged by elected officials and transportation advocacy groups to return the city that never sleeps to its normal subway schedule.

“Today is a milestone for New York state and a significant moment of transition,” Cuomo said.

The move will provide an essential service to restaurant and hospital staff and others who commute outside the traditional 9 a.m.-to-5 p.m. workday. It will also help transport more people around the city as the MTA anticipates ridership will increase alongside an uptick in business activity and cultural events.

Mayor Bill de Blasio has set a goal to fully reopen the city’s restaurants, bars, arenas and stores by July 1. Cuomo, who has ultimate restoration authority over the city, has declined to make a projection, but has said everything may be open even sooner. About 80,000 city workers returned to their offices Monday, and de Blasio said he hopes the private sector follows suit.

In New York state, the outdoor food and beverage curfew will be lifted May 17, and the indoor curfew will be lifted on May 31, Cuomo said Monday. The outdoor large stadium capacity will go to 33% in New York state on May 19, Cuomo said.

The state will keep the six-foot social distancing requirement, pursuant to CDC guidance, Cuomo said. Events that can show proof of full vaccination for every person or recent negative test results do not have to follow that requirement, Cuomo said.

“This is a major reopening of economic and social activity,” Cuomo said Monday.

New York was the early center of the U.S. outbreak, and Cuomo shut down the city as the virus spread. In May 2020, he ordered the MTA to stop its subways for four overnight hours every day to clean and disinfect trains and stations. It cut that time to two hours in February.

The 24-hour restart comes as the spread of the coronavirus is decreasing. New York City posted on Sunday a seven-day daily average of 1,370 confirmed and probable cases, down from a 28-day daily average of 2,361. Hospitalizations and deaths have also decreased. Nearly a third of city residents are fully vaccinated, data show.

The pandemic decimated MTA’s ridership. Subway usage is still down 65% from pre-outbreak levels as people work from home. The agency will receive a combined $14.5 billion of federal aid to cover lost revenue.

Subscribe to our YouTube channel

Bloomberg Quicktake brings you live global news and original shows spanning business, technology, politics and culture. Make sense of the stories changing your business and your world.

To watch complete coverage on Bloomberg Quicktake 24/7, visit or watch on Apple TV, Roku, Samsung Smart TV, Fire TV and Android TV on the Bloomberg app.

Have a story to tell? Fill out this survey for a chance to have it featured on Bloomberg Quicktake

Connect with us on…

Breaking News on YouTube