Photo Courtesy of Patrick Cashin/MTA New York City Transit
“Stations are being disinfected twice a day, rolling stock, subway cars, buses, Metro-North, Long Island Rail Road cars are being disinfected on a regular basis as well,” MTA Chairman and CEO Patrick Foye said.
By Michael V. Cusenza
Four City councilmen recently 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 Metropolitan Transportation Authority and its workers, and the belief that “drastic measures must be taken to stop the spread of COVID-19 in our transit system.”
The pandemic has ravaged the ranks of the MTA: nearly 3,000 workers have tested positive for COVID-19; 79 employees have died from the virus.
“MTA employees are going to work every day with woefully inadequate personal protective equipment. They are given one mask and one pair of gloves for an entire week while continuing to work among the filth of the subway tunnels. The union rep also reports that the employees receive practically no biohazard training that would have prepared them for this situation,” the elected officials wrote. “As a result, MTA workers are dying at a faster rate than any other frontline workers.”
Later in the letter, the councilmen note that they believe “that the New York City transit system is a primary contributor to the spread of COVID-19.” During the week-long closure, the pols recommend that the City and State “partner with for-hire vehicle services to provide rides to essential workers. All tolls and parking restrictions, except for no standing, should also be lifted during the shutdown to allow essential workers to drive and park their personal vehicles close to work. Upon reopening the system, all commuters should be required to wear face coverings, and there should be daily shutdowns from midnight to 5 a.m. for deep cleaning.
“It is time for a direct and coordinated approach from the City and State to bring this crisis to an end,” the four councilmen concluded.
MTA Chairman and CEO Patrick Foye called the shutdown suggestion a “well intentioned” but “bad idea.”
“We’re providing MTA essential service on subways and buses, 75 percent of normal, pre-pandemic service. And we’re providing that for 5 percent of our customers. But those 5 percent of our customers are the first responders and essential employees that I mentioned before. We’re carrying those customers safely. It’s a safe environment for our customers and our employees. Stations are being disinfected twice a day, rolling stock, subway cars, buses, Metro-North, Long Island Rail Road cars are being disinfected on a regular basis as well. And that creates an environment where customers and employees can feel safe. The consequence of shutting the subways down would frankly disrupt the ability of healthcare workers, firefighters, that list that I went through before, including transit workers, to get to and from their jobs, and frankly, would make the consequences of this terrible pandemic even worse,” Foye said on Monday on “PIX 11 Evening News.”
