Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Chairman and CEO Patrick J. Foye today appeared on 1010 WINS to discuss the MTA’s response to the novel coronavirus, including efforts across New York City Transit, MTA Bus, Access-A-Ride, Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North to significantly increase the frequency and intensity of sanitizing procedures at stations and on its full fleet of rolling stock.

Listen to the interview here.

A transcript of the interview appears below.

Larry Mullins: Well the coronavirus concerns have certainly sent the MTA into “mach speed” and washing and wiping and scrubbing down the city's transportation hubs trying to protect New Yorkers. With me on the 1010 WINS hotline is Pat Foye the head of the MTA. Mr. Foye, welcome, sir. Thanks for joining us.

Pat Foye: Thanks for having me, Larry.

Larry Mullins: The idea of shutting down the system in the wake of this thing has been at least floated around. Is there a potential for that happening? And what would that look like?

Pat Foye: Well look, today, we carried millions of people on subways and buses, carried them safely. This is not about me, but my colleagues and I are riding the subway and buses. I personally took the Long Island Railroad this morning as I do and got on the two or three to Chambers and then the one to Rector Street. I'm going to do the same thing [going home]. My MTA colleagues, my family are continuing to do that. The system is safe. Since this incident began, we have increased substantially the frequency and intensity of disinfecting our stations every station in the subways, Staten Island Rail Metro North and Long Island Railroad and every paratransit vehicle is disinfected every evening. And the subway cars and Metro North and Long Island Railroad cars plus buses are being disinfected over a 72 hour period. I can tell you that we are looking right now for, I believe, short term deployment of some innovative, new and innovative technologies that I'm not ready to discuss on the call, but that I believe we'll be deploying in the days ahead that will provide even greater disinfectant protection. Everything we're doing is being done on the advice of CDC or the State Commissioner of Health, New York City Commissioner of Health and we're using EPA approved materials. So the system is safe for carrying millions of passengers and we're committed to doing that in the days and weeks and months ahead.

Larry Mullins: Okay. Now, let me ask you this, how are you advising people? What are you advising straphangers to do to protect themselves on the crowded buses and trains? I mean, do we wait for the next one when it's not so crowded or what? How are you handling that?

Pat Foye: Well, here's the advice I would give to our customers the same advice I give to my family. The system is safe. Subways and buses and commuter rail is safe. The MTA is doing everything it can to provide a safe environment for our customers and our employees going through the disinfecting regime on stations and rolling stock in buses that I just described. Governor Cuomo has asked us to step that up even further and to redouble that effort. And we will be doing that and we're exploring these innovative technologies. Beyond that, what I would say to customers, if you're sick, if you've got a fever, if you've got a significant underlying medical issue, a suppressed immune system or otherwise, you shouldn't be at this point in large crowds and probably shouldn't be on crowded public transit, in any part of the country. There are companies, obviously universities around the region have closed, there are companies that are offering or mandating telecommuting. If that's an option or obviously if you're directed to do that by your employer that makes sense, will help lessen crowding on subways and buses, to some extent. But the system continues to take people safely and securely and increasingly on time 83% on tine performance on the subways and we look forward to continuing that in the days and weeks and months ahead.

Larry Mullins: Okay, Pat Foye. So you'll come back and talk with us again, if any of that changes.

Pat Foye: Yes, sir.