During the apex of the coronavirus pandemic in March and April, ridership on U.S.public transit systems plummeted. In New York City, the MTA reported a 95 percent dropoff in ridership; in San Francisco, ridership has fallen by 85 percent; in Chicago, bus and train ridership has seen an 80 percent decrease. Shelter-in-place orders, business closures, and, sadly, layoffs and furloughs meant millions of workers no longer needed transit to get to and from work.
