MTA Chairman and CEO Patrick J. Foye appeared on WCBS 880 this morning with Steve Scott to discuss the agencies return to full service as the city enters Phase 1 reopening today. 

A transcript of the interview appears below. 

Steve Scott:  The city's phase one reopening is underway today. As many as 400,000 workers are returning to the city.  Many will take public transit, which has seen a 90 plus percent drop off in ridership during the pandemic.  Live to our Newsline, MTA Chairman Pat Foye.  Mr. Foye, good morning.  

Patrick J. Foye:  Good morning.  How are you? 

Steve Scott:  Well, I am doing well and we want to know how the system is doing.  You're back to almost regular service today.  Correct? 

Foye:  Well on the on the subways, actually it is regular service.  On buses, it will be regular service in the four boroughs other than Manhattan.  Manhattan they'll be 75% of service.  Express bus service is being brought back in each of the boroughs.  Well actually the bus service will be full service for a day that school is closed.  I just left Grand Central Terminal, and I want to report two things.  It certainly appears that more people are riding the subways this morning.  And second, and this is consistent with a poll we did.  And I'll talk about that in just a second.  It appeared to me that almost all of our customers are getting on or getting off the subway at Grand Central Terminal on the 4, 5, 6 was wearing masks.  It is state law that everybody on public transit wear a mask, employees and customers.  We surveyed slightly under 50,000 customers in the last week and mask compliance according to that survey, a physical survey of our customers are actually on the subway, reported that mask compliance was 92%.  That's an incredibly high level.  We want to get it even higher.  It is a requirement of state law.  Compliance by our employees I think it's fair to say is 100%.  And in places like Seoul and Berlin and Tokyo, which are large systems like the MTA, moving millions of people a day, mask compliance was equally high.  And when people return to work, when they return to mass transit, there was no spike up in cases.  That's the same goal here Steve. 

Scott:  As more people returned to platforms, trains and buses, is it possible to keep a proper physical distance?  It only takes a few people who don't care about it to mess it up for everyone. 

Foye:  Well, look, we all want people to return to New York, to their jobs, to spending in New York City, paying taxes and doing what supports the city and state’s economy.  We are not promising social distance on rush hour trains.  We're being candid with our customers.  But we're also being candid by telling you we're disinfecting every subway car and bus, commuter rail every night.  We're exploring innovative techniques, including ultraviolet light, which Professor Dr. David Brenner at Columbia has proven kills the COVID-19 virus.  We're also looking at antimicrobials.  So, disinfecting every station twice a day and every piece of rolling stock and bus.  The mask wearing is essential and this is a respiratory spread transmissible disease COVID-19.  If our customers continue the 92% compliance and drive it even higher, that will reduce significantly the public health risk to everybody, our customers and our employees.  And that really is the mission and the message today. 

Scott:  Many people working staggered shifts may need to leave while the system is shut down overnight for cleaning.  What is the plan there? 

Foye:  Well, the plan is we're shut down from 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. to allow every subway car to be disinfected. We have a very robust bus schedule.  We added significant amounts of bus service including bus service from that 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. period.  For customers for whom the bus ride would be over an hour and 20 minutes or would require more than two transfers, there is a for hire vehicle service available while the shutdown continues.  Information about that is available at MTA.info or on the essential connector app. 

Scott:  Before we let you go, we are in phase 1 reopening now.  More people are heading into the city.  Are there solid metrics, benchmarks that you will be checking off to eventually allow for full 24-7 subway service? 

Foye:  Well, as we said and the governor said, the 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. closure will continue as long as the pandemic [signal lost for about 5 seconds here] ready for that to be sooner rather than later.  The metrics that we're going to be looking at is mask compliance is going to be key.  We ensure every day that every car, every bus, commuter rail is disinfected, every station, that's going to continue.  We will be reporting to the public and the media on progress on the ultra violet pilot as well as the anti-microbials.  There's also a data dashboard that we have created for exactly phase 1 customers and phase 2, 3, 4, etc.  That'll allow [signal lost again briefly] the way bus or commuter rail journeys, take into account crowding and other metrics as well Steve. 

Scott:  You know what, your phone broke up at a critical point there. I believe you said as long as the pandemic continues, what does that mean? 

Foye:  We’re a transportation agency.  We're going to look to the governor and his executive orders for the duration of the pandemic.  But as long as the pandemic continues, we'll close down, and we'll close down in the 1 to 5 a.m. period to allow disinfecting of every subway car, bus, commuter rail and every station, disinfecting stations twice, twice a day. 

Steve Scott:  MTA Chairman Pat Foye, thank you for talking with us today. 

Foye:  Thank you, sir.