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After Nearly A Month, MTA To Resume Full Service As Staffing Levels Stabilize
By
Stephen Nessen
Published Jan 18, 2022
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Gary Hershorn/Getty Images
By
Stephen Nessen
Published Jan 18, 2022
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The MTA will restore most of its full weekday service across the system starting Wednesday, three weeks after curtailing service due to COVID-19 related staff shortages.
The A, B, J and Z as well as the diamond 6 and 7 trains will resume regular service.
Service on the W line remains suspended, although the MTA notes riders can take the N, Q or R instead.
During an omicron-fueled surge in cases starting after Christmas, staffing levels on subways dropped by 14%. The agency said, on a regular day, it expects about 7% of staff to be out sick, but with the steep increase in workers calling in, likely related to COVID-19 infections, it couldn’t run full service with 21% of its subway workers out.
The MTA says it expects a 7% increase in subway conductors and operators showing up for work this week, “and the numbers [of absences] continue to drop every day,” Acting Chairman Janno Lieber said in a statement.
“Throughout this fall we have supported the city’s recovery by increasing our service levels month over month. The Omicron surge affected all of New York City, the subway included, which required strategic adjustments to be made on redundant lines while meeting our primary goal of providing service at all 472 subways stations,” New York City Transit Interim President Craig Cipriano wrote in a statement. “With crews returning, we can get back to our core mission of ever improving our customers’ public transportation experience.”
The transit agency is seeing passengers return to the system again after omicron seemingly caused a dip in ridership. Last Thursday, there were 2.5 million riders, the highest since before Christmas. The agency had an average of 3 million riders on weekdays
The MTA doesn’t require its workers to be vaccinated, but does require those who haven’t taken the vaccine to undergo weekly testing.
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Stephen Nessen
Stephen Nessen covers transportation. Since 2008 he has reported on everything from Occupy Wall Street, the rebuilding of the World Trade Center site, Hurricane Sandy, to Trump’s campaign for president. His transportation reporting has taken him everywhere from the MTA’s secret Rail Control Center to the gleaming subways of Seoul. Got a tip? Email [email protected].
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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