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Riders using public transportation in New York will now face fines if they fail to adhere to the state’s mandate of wearing a face covering.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that the MTA will be issuing $50 fines to anyone who fails to wear a facemask on New York City subways and buses, Metro-North and Long Island Rail Road cars.
The new emergency order took effect on Monday, Sept. 14. Mask compliance will be enforced by MTAPD, NYPD, and Bridge and Tunnel officers.
According to the MTA, surveys show more than 90 percent of customers are using masks on subways, buses, the Long Island Rail Road, and Metro-North since Cuomo issued an executive order mandating face coverings in April.
“We’ve been surveying our customers, physically counting mask compliance before today was about 96 percent on buses, 91 percent on subways, well over 90 percent on Metro-North and Long Island Rail Road,” MTA Chairman and CEO Patrick Foye said on Monday.
“I spent the morning this morning with the MTA Mask Task Force,” he continued. “I will tell you that of the thousands of people we saw this morning, there was only one without a mask.
Foye said he and his colleagues handed out “probably a couple hundred” masks to riders who already had, so they would have them for tomorrow. Masks are also available from station agents and are being distributed by Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North employees.
“Our goal is not to fine anybody,” Foye said. “This is not a revenue matter. It’s in the interest of public health protecting our customers, and our employees. Wearing a mask is the most important thing to do that. We’re not looking to issue a lot of fines.”
Cuomo said that “while mask compliance in the MTA system remains very high, we want to make sure that people feel comfortable coming back to public transportation.
"I have asked the MTA to come up with an enforcement regimen so people know that not only are the cars clean and the stations clean, but the riders will be acting appropriately,” Cuomo continued. “We have to be able to say to the riding public that everyone will be wearing masks - and if they refuse to wear a mask they will be penalized."
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