The MTA’s chairman on Monday insisted mass transit is safe to ride amid the coronavirus outbreak — then advised New Yorkers to avoid the subway so they don’t get sick.
“I want to assure the public that the subways remain safe,” Pat Foye said at a press conference at MTA headquarters.
Minutes later, he said: “If you can get around without riding the subway, do it.”
The comments echoed advice from Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Mayor de Blasio, who have said commuters should avoid taking crowded trains and seek other transportation options if available.
“The message is if there are alternatives to subways that work… do that,” Foye said, suggesting alternatives like telecommuting, biking, walking or taking transit at less-crowded times of day.
The official advice rang hollow for many commuters Monday who said they had no choice but to take the train.
“I live all the way in The Bronx. I can’t bike all the way down here to come to work,” said Melissa Sweeney, 40, who was on her way home from a gig near City Hall.
“The mayor doesn’t have to take the train, but everyone has to get to work no matter what,” said Amani Adalasha, 24. “It’s kind of f—d up that he’s expecting all of us to stop our lives. We all need to make money.”
“You want to be cautious and everything, but honestly — I’m poor so I need to work,” she added.
Others, however, were defiantly unconcerned.
“We all gotta die, man. I’m gonna die, you’re gonne die. You never know when you’re going to die,” said one 63-year-old Brooklyn man who gave his name as Joe.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, Foye also said the MTA had continued to meet its goal of cleaning trains and buses every 72 hours and frequently-used station surfaces every day.
He said the added cleaning costs — plus an expected, but not yet confirmed, drop-in ridership — could hurt the MTA’s bottom line.
“The MTA and its agencies will incur a significant amount of costs to this endeavor,” Foye said.
“Our first priority is public health. That means that if there’s less crowding, that in the short term is a good thing because it will reduce the risk to the public.”