Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Chief Operating Officer Mario Péloquin today appeared on WCBS 880 to discuss the MTA’s update to agency-wide sanitizing protocols as it redoubles safety precautions in response to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). New York City Transit, MTA Bus Company, Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North are significantly increasing the frequency and intensity of sanitizing procedures at each of its stations, moving to disinfecting efforts twice a day, and continuing its daily cleanings on its fleet of rolling stock with the full fleet of train cars and buses completed every 72 hours or less. The Access-A-Ride dedicated fleet is disinfected daily.

A transcript of the interview appears below.

Steve Scott: As the COVID-19 outbreak continues to spread, the MTA is stepping up its cleaning efforts. On our news line is Mario Péloquin, the Chief Operating Officer at the MTA. Mr. Péloquin, thank you for joining us. What can you tell us about efforts to keep the trains and buses clean?

Mario Péloquin: Well, look, as soon as the situation with COVID-19 started to arise, we took some drastic measures to start sanitizing all the things that our customers touch every day, meaning all the vehicles, trains, subway trains and buses in order to minimize the potential impact on our customers, as well as all the stations on the entire network. We're continuing to do that. And as the situation evolves, we're redoubling our efforts for those sanitization efforts that we're doing.

Steve Scott: Would you go so far as to recommend that people not use the system?

Mario Péloquin: Absolutely not. Look, you know, I think that the thing to keep in mind is everybody has to use common sense. Our transit system is safe in we're cleaning, sanitizing every day to make sure that the status of our system is safe for people as best as we can do, given the size and the use of our system. So people that need to use the system should absolutely continue using the system.

Steve Scott: In your career in mass transit, have you ever seen a cleaning and sanitization effort that has reached this level?

Mario Péloquin: No, I have never seen that. Of course, the industry continually prepares for these types of situations. I can tell you that the rolling stock manufacturers trains and buses, apply different coatings on the stanchions and the benches, the plastic parts and so on to help you know, prevent the contamination of those surfaces. And in addition, we do the things that we do, but I've never seen it to that level. And that should be an indication to everybody that we are really doing everything that we can to keep the system as safe as possible.

Steve Scott: Mario Péloquin, Chief Operating Officer at the MTA, thank you for the update. We appreciate it.