Coronavirus in MA: MBTA, Amtrak To Sound The Horn Thursday

BOSTON — If you hear a lot of horns going off at 3 p.m. Thursday, no, it's not an earthquake that has set off all the car alarms at once, the MBTA is asking anyone who has one to join them in honking or blaring their horns in an effort to honor transportation workers who are transporting healthcare workers and other people on the front line of the new coronavirus pandemic.

This effort – #SoundTheHorn – includes simultaneously sounding the fleets of trains and bus horns to honor transportation workers. As a tribute to the front lines of this public health crisis, all MBTA trains and buses running in service will give two one-second horn blasts at 3 p.m. in solidarity with Amtrak, New York, New Jersey, and other regional agencies.

"The MBTA is proud to join our colleagues in public transportation in celebrating the unheralded efforts of our front line transit workforce," said MBTA General Manager Steve Poftak in a statement. "These men and women are the backbone of our communities, oftentimes providing the only source of transit to our neighborhoods. Today being One Boston Day makes this effort especially poignant as we honor Boston’s resiliency, generosity, and strength."

As of April 10, the MBTA said 53 people currently were testing positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus. Those infected included 29 bus drivers, two subway drivers and two trolley drivers. One operator has died.

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