New York Driving Comeback Falters With Virus Surge, Cold Blast

  • Toll traffic on major spans, roads falls 3.9% in January
  • Reduction provides latest grim sign for gasoline demand
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New Yorkers’ return to the roads during the holiday season proved short-lived, with a new surge of the pandemic and freezing weather keeping drivers at home and extending a drag on gasoline demand.

Just over 21 million vehicles paid tolls in January, a 3.9% drop from December, when traffic jumped 14% to the highest since before Covid-19 hit, data from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority show. The survey covers the nine bridges, tunnels and highways linking the New York boroughs and neighboring areas.