But at the height of the coronavirus pandemic the equation was flipped on its head — average daily ridership in April and May was 444,000 on the subway and 505,000 on the buses.

It was the first time that happened since transit officials started keeping such records more than half a century ago.

Buses have held on to their lead even as the city has begun reopening after a three-month shutdown and more commuters return to work. Average daily counts in June were 752,000 riders for the subway — and 830,000 riders for the buses…

To speed up buses, Mayor Bill de Blasio said the city would install five busways that would push cars off some of New York’s busiest arteries, including Fifth Avenue in Manhattan and Main Street in Flushing, Queens.
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