New York City has been the epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic. It’s now starting phase one of reopening today. Mayor de Blasio credits New Yorkers, saying they did the hard work with social distancing, face coverings and other measures to get the number of coronavirus cases down. Manufacturing, retail for curbside pickup and construction are among the industries that are back with phase one.
“This is the place where it was going to be the hardest to make a comeback. And yet, New York City is so strong and resilient. We are making that comeback.”
The mayor says up to 400,000 people are returning to work, but admits some are afraid to use mass transit or head into the office.
“What they are going to do is watch and as they see things working, more and more people will come out.”
The mayor says New Yorkers have to stick to coronavirus-related protocols to get to the next phases of reopening.
New York City is adding a lot of space for buses, meaning less room for drivers. Mayor De Blasio says over 20 miles of bus lanes will be added, including five new busways. Those busways will be coming by October, meaning streets will be closed to most drivers.
“750 thousand New Yorkers will have a faster way to work, more frequent service, less crowding. Look, more service equals less crowding equals more health and safety.”
Busways include Main Street in Queens, Fifth Avenue in Manhattan and Jay Street in Brooklyn. De Blasio says it will be a one-year trial for the new busways, and then they will go permanent if things go smoothly.