New York City has the largest subway network in America, yet ridership has not returned to pre-pandemic levels. Recent ridership data stays around 70% to 80% of 2019 levels, and the MTA expects it to remain at about that level through 2029. Office work-from-home contributes to lower ridership, but recovery patterns vary across the city. Station ridership recovery appears weaker in Upper Manhattan, the Bronx, and outer boroughs compared with Manhattan. Early in the pandemic, ridership correlated with median household incomes, with higher ridership in outer boroughs and wealthier neighborhoods working from home. Later, that relationship weakened and the geography inverted, implying structural mobility changes. Car registrations increased during the pandemic, suggesting new habits that may reduce subway use.
"Recent data shows subway ridership hovering between 70% and 80% of 2019 levels, and the MTA anticipates that it will remain "at about that level through 2029.""
"For example, looking at station ridership recovery across the city, there visually appears to be a geographic correlation with areas in Upper Manhattan, the Bronx, and the outer boroughs in general not recovering to the same extent as Manhattan."
"In the early days of the pandemic, ridership levels were mostly correlated with median household incomes. Ridership remained higher in the outer boroughs, while residents in wealthier neighbourhoods simply worked from home. Since then, that correlation has weakened and the geography has inverted."
"This suggests to me that in addition to WFH, there has also been a structural mobility shift for many households. We know that car registrations in NYC spiked during the pandemic, and presumably that means some new mobility habits were formed."
Read at Brandon Donnelly
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