Although there is no sign of NYC reopening indoor dining, the subway is up to over 1 million riders per day. Despite the memories you may have of packed cars and riding a cramped car, riding the subway may be a lot safer than you may think.
The New York Times published a report that examined other countries' "infection clusters" after reopening to see if there was a correlation between that and riding public transportation. Turns out, it did not.
Public health experts of course also took into account that ridership is not where it used to be before the pandemic, so it may still eventually be a hub for the spread of the virus is the virus reaches to the level at which it was. However, there are other contributing factors like the quality of air ventilation on the subways is better than inside a restaurant. According to the Times, fresh air is recirculated through the subway system 18 times per hour at a minimum which is higher than recommended rates at restaurants where the number is 8-12 times per hour.
Weighing all these factors, experts have come to the conclusion that the subway is riskier than walking outside but determined it safer than indoor dining.
The MTA also has said that over 90% of riders are wearing masks and people do go around handing masks to riders who don't have one.
Will you be getting on the subway again soon? How do you feel about public transportation during this pandemic?