NewsColony

Subway Service Is Cut by a Quarter Because of Coronavirus NewsColony As the coronavirus engulfs New York, the city’s public transportation network is slashing service by at least 25 percent with ridership in free fall and an increasing number of sick workers hobbling its ability to run a normal operation. The decision to cut service on the network, the nation’s largest, on Tuesday came after ridership on the subway plunged a staggering 87 percent — or nearly 4.8 million riders — compared with the same day last year. Personnel shortages forced the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which oversees subways, buses and two commuter rails, to temporarily eliminate service on three express subway lines: the B, the W and the Z. So far, 52 M.T.A. workers have tested positive for the coronavirus, officials said, and worker shortages have caused around 800 service delays. Patrick J. Foye, the chairman of the M.T.A., characterized the decision as a necessary measure to stem the s...