A surge in usage of New York City subways has resulted in highs not seen since before the pandemic, according to Bloomberg.
Riders took 3.5 million subway trips on Thursday alone, just passing the previous pandemic peak of 3.42 million on Dec. 9, according to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Both numbers are still below the 2019 weekday average of 5.5 million, however, Bloomberg reported.
Still, ridership this year is lower than what transit officials had estimated, the news agency said, adding that the transit authority collected $170 million less than expected in the first quarter of 2022.
The agency expects a $2 billion shortfall when federal pandemic aid ends in 2026, according to Bloomberg.
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