Cuomo Promises NYC's 24-Hour Subway Service Will Resume

NEW YORK CITY — Gov. Andrew Cuomo promised New York City it would get its 24-hour subway service back once the novel coronavirus crisis ended, but provided little detail on when to expect it.

"You tell me when the global pandemic is over, I'll tell you when the 24-hour service resumes," Cuomo said during his daily press briefing.

"Does that mean when there's a vaccine?" A reporter asked.

"No," said Cuomo. "It just when the pandemic is not problematic to this extent."

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This brief and limited exchange of information came hours before the Metropolitan Transportation Authority plans to take the historic step of shutting down late night subway service in New York City.

Trains will no longer run between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. as NYPD officers empty stations and MTA crews conduct mass disinfections of subway cars, officials announced last week.

The service cut, slated to begin early Wednesday morning, comes after reports of homeless people sleeping in subway cars spurred Cuomo to call the situation "disgusting."

Read More: Late Night NYC Subway Service Cut Amid Coronavirus Crisis: Cuomo

Neither Cuomo nor the authority have provided New Yorkers specifics on when the subways will resume 24-hour service, but the MTA — currently facing a 90 percent drop in ridership and an $8 billion budget deficit — said late night trains will resume once "customer demand returns."

Cuomo also refused to provide specifics on when New York City might begin to reopen its economy.

The governor's "PAUSE" order — which mandates all but essential workers remain home — is expected to be reissued on May 15 as COVID-19 continues to claim hundreds of New Yorker's lives every day.

More than 170,530 New Yorkers had tested positive for COVID-19 as of May 4 with 43,045 hospitalizations, 13,536 confirmed deaths and 5,373 likely deaths, New York City data show.

The number of statewide deaths rose to 230 Monday, four more than the day before, said Cuomo.

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