MTA Plans To Disinfect Stations, Trains To Stop Coronavirus

LONG ISLAND, NY — The MTA announced that it will implement new cleaning and sanitation protocols on all trains, subways and buses in response to the new coronavirus outbreak. The MTA will increase the frequency — and intensity — of sanitizing at each station and its entire fleet, the agency said.

Trains, cars and buses will be cleaned daily and will be sanitized every three days. Frequently used surfaces, such as turnstiles, ticket vending machines and handrails will be disinfected daily. The MTA said it will use disinfectants approved by both the federal Environmental Protection Agency and the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"While we understand the concerns over the coronavirus, the reality is the risk in New York remains low," Mario Péloquin, the transit authority's chief operating officer said. "We want our more than eight million customers and our employees to know that we are taking every precaution to ensure their safety, starting with sanitizing of the entire system. We will continue to keep the public fully informed and we thank our frontline employees for their efforts."

The MTA also plans to display health-related public service announcements on train cars and buses.

The new cleaning schedule began Monday night. It includes the 472 subway stations, 21 Staten Island Railway stations, the 124 Long Island Rail Road stations and terminals and the 101 Metro-North stations. The agency will also clean 6,714 subway cars, 64 State Island Railway cars and 1,100 cars that the LIRR and Metro-North each have, as well as the MTA's 5,700 buses and 1,341 Access-A-Ride vans. The schedule is designed so no car in the fleet goes longer than 72 hours between full cleanings, the MTA said.

So far, there have been two confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus, or COVID-19, in New York: a 39-year-old healthcare worker from Manhattan, and a 50-year-old man from New Rochelle.