Masks are now encouraged, but optional on public transit. We are no longer maintaining recurring statistics on compliance.
We measured mask compliance rates on our subway and bus systems continuously between May 2020 and April 2022. This data is available at the NYS Open Data portal.
How we gathered data
Subway and bus mask compliance was measured in two-week alternating cycles. Results were based on observations of passengers between the hours of 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. The subway survey estimated mask usage rates from a representative systemwide statistical sample, and the bus survey provided mask usage rates from observations at the 15 busiest bus stops per borough.
