Photo Courtesy of Patrick Cashin/MTA
During the overnight period, the MTA indicated that it will intensify disinfecting operations.
By Michael V. Cusenza
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority on Thursday announced the closure of the subway system overnight from 1 – 5 a.m. for daily deep cleaning and a new “Essential Connector” service to continue moving the heroes on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic beginning Wednesday, May 6.
On average, approximately 11,000 customers currently use the subway during this time.
During the overnight period, the MTA indicated that it will intensify disinfecting operations, cleaning its fleet of thousands of cars and buses every night, and further testing new and innovative cleaning solutions, including UV, antimicrobials and electrostatic disinfectants. Essential workers traveling to and from work during the overnight will be connected with for-hire vehicles through the “Essential Connector” program at no cost to customers. New York City Transit and MTA bus service will continue to run under the MTA Essential Service Plan with enhancements along high ridership routes, agency officials noted.
“Essential Connector” customers will be limited to two trips per night on for-hire-vehicles and must show proof of essential travel with appropriate credentials. Customers who do not have a smart phone will also be able to request a ride through a dedicated number. Rides will also be available to customers requiring wheelchair accessible vehicles.
The closure of the system during the overnight period of 1-5 a.m. will require significant and sustained City Police Department resources, MTA leaders added. All customers will be required to leave the trains and the stations during this time. The MTA said the City has agreed to bolster its presence systemwide and deploy additional NYPD resources.
“We need to do everything we can to ensure our system is a clean, disinfected and as safe as possible—and we have to get it right,” said Sarah Feinberg, interim president of New York City Transit.“Closing our system for a limited time overnight will enable us to clean and disinfect every car, every night. We also want to make sure we find a way to do this as efficiently and in as innovative a way as possible to ensure we are maximizing safety of our riders. We need to do this while we continue moving the heroes on the frontlines of this crisis—the doctors, nurses, grocery workers, utility employees and childcare workers. Our new ‘Essential Connector’ service will do just that—providing dedicated service along subway routes overnight and getting our heroes to and from work to save lives.”
Last month, four city councilmen sent a letter to Gov. Andrew Cuomo recommending a temporary closure of the city subway and bus systems for at least a week for the deep cleaning of trains, buses, and stations.
Councilmen Bob Holden (D-Middle Village), Eric Ulrich (R-Ozone Park), Peter Koo (D-Flushing), and Mark Gjonaj (D-Bronx) signed the missive expressing “grave concern” over the MTA and its workers, and the belief that “drastic measures must be taken to stop the spread of COVID-19 in our transit system.”
MTA Chairman and CEO Patrick Foye called the shutdown suggestion a “well intentioned” but “bad idea.”
According to the MTA, during the COVID-19 crisis, ridership on the New York City subway has fallen more than 90 percent.
