The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) today received the second and final part of a shipment this week of more than 1 million additional new masks and 50,000 pairs of new gloves to protect heroic frontline workers across New York City Transit, MTA Bus Company, Long Island Rail Road, Metro-North Railroad, Bridges and Tunnels, Construction & Development and MTA PD. 

“We are relentless when it comes to securing and obtaining personal protective equipment for our employees, including masks and gloves to keep these heroes safe while they work to get doctors, nurses, police, transit colleagues and other essential workers to their jobs,” said Patrick J. Foye, MTA Chairman and CEO.  “It’s no small feat to supply the largest transportation agency in North America, with 71,000 employees, in the middle of a worldwide shortage.  We are laser-focused on making sure our employees are safe during the COVID-19 pandemic – heroes moving heroes deserve no less.” 

This week the MTA received 750,000 new surgical masks, 360,000 new KN95 masks and 50,000 pairs of new gloves. The shipment more than doubles the 750,000 masks already distributed since March 1, 2020 and adds to the 2.9 million pairs of gloves already distributed. KN95 masks, also known as respirators, meet international and MTA performance standards and serve as a suitable alternative to N95 respirators, which provide protection against small-particle aerosols.  Surgical masks are suitable for general use, easier for many people to breathe through and are available in enough supply for regular replenishment, daily for many employees.  The MTA continues to aggressively procure more masks of all kinds, including N95 and KN95 respirators, in the face of significant worldwide shortages. 

The MTA has also distributed more than 17,000 galloons and over 90,000 bottles of hand sanitizer,750,000 sanitizing wipes and 75,000 gallons of cleaning solution to its employees since March.  

The MTA has been a national leader among transportation agencies in taking aggressive action to battle the COVID-19 pandemic since the early days of its arrival in New York. In order to protect employees, the MTA disregarded federal guidance and began handing out masks to all employees before the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention later issued new guidance recommending all Americans wear masks. 

The MTA continues its comprehensive disinfecting efforts systemwide with trains and buses being disinfected nightly, with the entire fleets for all agencies completed every 72 hours or less, since March 2. The MTA has also implemented rear-door boarding and eliminated cash transactions to prevent person-to-person contact to ensure the safety of operating employees.

The MTA launched the nation-leading “Temperature Brigade” on March 24 and later expanded the force to 24 locations testing tens of thousands of employees across New York City Transit, Metro-North and Long Island Rail Road. Temperatures will also be checked at an additional seven locations for subway operating and maintenance crews by the end of this weekend. 

The MTA is also installing plexiglass barriers at work locations across all 28 bus depots to further protect employees. The MTA is also installing plexiglass barriers at work locations across all 28 bus depots to further protect employees. In addition, the MTA installed plexiglass barriers for employees in 45 subway locations and is continuing to install them throughout the system. 

This week, the MTA announced a brand-new partnership with Northwell Health-GoHealth Urgent Care to provide prioritized COVID-19 testing to symptomatic frontline MTA workers at its 52 urgent care facilities throughout the New York metropolitan region. The health and safety of the MTA’s employees and customers continues to be the agency’s top priority.