NEW YORK (WCBS 880) — The MTA on Wednesday announced it will be ramping up mask enforcement throughout the transit system as more New Yorkers return to buses, subways and commuter trains.
Officials reminded all riders that they must wear a mask on subways, buses, commuter rails and inside stations. Those who refuse to comply risk an increased chance of receiving a $50 fine.
“Our officers have surged into major hubs to remind riders to wear their mask, and have handed out 25,000 free masks in just two weeks,” said Acting Chief of MTA Police Joseph McGrann. “In the coming weeks officers will step up enforcement efforts on commuter rails and work with our partners at the NYPD for the subway and bus system. The message is clear: wear a mask.
Riders who are still not getting this message will now see the cost associated with that thinking.”
After Labor Day, the MTA began a “blitz of mask distribution,” seeking to increase mask compliance. Since then, mask usage has increased, according to the agency.
“Latest surveys show that mask compliance onboard buses is approximately 94%, 87% on subways, 92% on the LIRR and 95% on Metro-North,” the MTA said in a release.
MTA Chief Safety Officer Patrick Warren noted that the next phase of the blitz is to step up mask enforcement by handing out more fines to those who do not wear a face covering.
“Promoting mask usage is an important component to protecting one another,” said Warren. “This next phase of our blitz will reinforce that wearing a mask is not optional. Vaccinated or not, you must wear a mask when traveling on public transit.”
During a press conference on Wednesday, Warren stressed that they are not seeking to penalize people carelessly.
“Our goal is not to hand out summons, our goal is to make people wear their masks,” he said.
The agency has given out more than 11.1 million masks to customers since the beginning of the pandemic.
Warren noted that customers should never start a fight with a person who is refusing to comply with mask regulations. Instead, they can notify an MTA employee or police officer.
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