Coronavirus: MBTA Ridership Drops 78 Percent

Ridership on the MBTA rail and bus lines continued to drop this week amid coronavirus concerns and efforts by the state to restrict public gatherings. According to the MBTA Office of Performance Management and Innovation, ridership on the train lines dropped 68 percent on Monday and 78 percent on Tuesday compared to the last week in February.

Bus ridership fell about 50 percent from the last week in February to Monday, March 16, the OPMI said.

The drop in ridership may come as a shock to some riders, who shared photos of packed trains the day after the MBTA scaled back its schedule. Some commuters slammed the agency for having to break the rules of social distancing, which health officials have promoted as one of the more effective means of preventing the spread of the coronavirus.

"As we continue monitoring the situation, we are making adjustments to ensure we can provide service for essential trips in the safest manner possible," MBTA General Manager Steve Poftak said in a statement this week. "We recognize that some employees in key industries, including those in the medical community, rely on the MBTA to get to their places of work and we’re committed to providing service to those folks who rely on the T. That said, service continues to operate at reduced levels in an effort to maintain a responsible balance between protecting our workforce and operating safe service."