Return to Normal: New York City Resumes Overnight Subway Service

The COVID-19 pandemic stole some of the incredible benefits of living in New York City, but as of this morning, the overnight service that so many in the nation's largest city rely on is back.

1 minute read

May 17, 2021, 8:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


New York Subway Coronvairus

Kevin Benckendorf / Shutterstock

"The Metropolitan Transportation Authority on Monday resumed 24/7 subway service for the the [sic] first time since last May when the agency suspended overnight rides due to the coronavirus pandemic," report Shannon Caturano and Justine Re.

Overnight service was suspended just a little over a year ago, when ridership had reached 10,000 people per night, and overall ridership on the system had declined by 92 percent.

Subway ridership is still recovering, with over 2 million people riding the system now per wek, down from the pre-pandemic daily ridership of 5.4 million. The New York MTA is also rehiring as the ridership numbers climb back up. According to the article, "the MTA has also restarted hiring bus operators, train operators, conductors, and cleaners throughout the system. The agency had been under a hiring freeze that began at the height of the pandemic."

More details on the system's reopening emerged when the reopening was announced, back at the beginning of this month.

Monday, May 17, 2021 in Spectrum News 1

Young Professional

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban and Environmental Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban and Environmental Planner

Get top-rated, practical training for planners

Overlapping highways

The state-sanctioned urbicide of Austin

People don’t kill cities. Freeways do.

September 8, 2026 - Benjamin Schneider

The Hoover Dam blocking the Colorado River. The river's water level is noticeably low. The cliffs surrounding the blue water are brown and jagged.

US to reduce Colorado River water deliveries to Mexico

A new Colorado Treaty amendment reduces Mexico’s Colorado River water allocation by 250,000 acre feet.

September 11, 2026 - The Arizona Republic

Skyscrapers in Jersey City.

New Jersey’s second-largest city bans standalone data centers

Jersey City will continue to allow co-location facilities, such as those meant for research institutions that store their own data.

September 4, 2026 - The Cool Down

A New Jersey train approaches people waiting at the station.

Amtrak not solely to blame for New Jersey commuter rail's unreliability, report finds

A new study from the Garden State Initiative found that NJ Transit’s budget grew 20% across a 4 year period, but reliability declined significantly over the same period.

September 15 - Mass Transit

A tall, gray power plant billows smoke into a blue sky.

EPA erases limits on planet-warming pollution from power plants

Under Monday’s plan, power plants would still have some limits on how much mercury, arsenic and other contaminants they can emit.

September 15 - New York Times

A white RAPID bus. The lower half is light blue, and says RAPID in purple text. The bus is half visible, appearing from the left side of the image.

Phoenix announces new on-demand transit service, more frequent RAPID buses

Both new services will launch in October, and are part of Phoenix's Project Effective Access Solutions for Easing Congestion.

September 15 - KJZZ

FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?

After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.

Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold

The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.