MTA Prepares For Flood Of Returning Students Next Week

NEW YORK CITY — Brace yourselves, straphangers — thousands of students are poised to flood MTA buses and subways with an expansion of in-person learning next week.

MTA officials announced they're preparing for the student surge by adding more than 990 additional bus trips starting Oct. 1. The updated school schedule will also bring on 105 buses, officials said.

“Our subways are running at nearly 100 percent of capacity and we’ve made sure to increase the amount of bus trips throughout the boroughs to ensure students have a convenient and safe way to get to class,” said Sarah Feinberg, NYC Transit's interim president, in a statement. “Students are a part of the fabric of this city and we welcome them back to a system that is cleaner than it has ever been.”

Additional service will be added to the following routes:

• Bronx: Bx1, Bx3, Bx8, Bx9, Bx10, Bx11, Bx12, Bx16, Bx17, Bx20, Bx21, Bx23, Bx26, Bx28/38, Bx30, Bx31, Bx36, Bx39, Bx40/42 and Bx41
• Brooklyn: B1, B4, B6, B7, B9, B11, B12, B16, B20, B31, B36, B41, B44, B44SBS, B46, B46SBS, B47, B49, B54, B60, B63, B64, B67/69 and B100
• Manhattan: M11 and M116
• Queens: Q2, Q3, Q4, Q5, Q7, Q8, Q11, Q15, Q17, Q20, Q21, Q22, Q27, Q28, Q30, Q31, Q34, Q36, Q37, Q38, Q41, Q43, Q44SBS Q46, Q50, Q54, Q55, Q58, Q65, Q66, Q76, Q77, Q83, Q85, Q88, Q111 and Q112
• Staten Island: S42/52, S44/94, S46/96, S48/98, S51/81, S53, S54, S55, S56, S57, S59, S61/91, S62/92, S66, S74/84, S76/86, S78 and S79SBS

Students, assuming they haven't rode a bus or subway since March, should be aware of new rules requiring mask wearing to slow the spread of coronavirus, among other changes.