Photos: Too-Crowded-To-Socially-Distance Subway Cars

Plus: Updates from the MTA chairman, who has COVID-19 [View this email in your browser]( Updates From MTA Chair Pat Foye (Who Has COVID-19) Plus: Photos and videos of crowded trains show the impossibility of keeping six feet apart. The NYPD won't be responding to minor car crashes anymore. And there's a way to donate your MetroCards to essential workers who need them. By [James Ramsay](mailto:james@wnyc.org?subject=We%20the%20Commuters) [A subway rider wears a glove while holding a pole as several riders wear face masks] David Boe/AP So far, [nine MTA employees have died]( from COVID-19, and at least 582 employees have tested positive. The agency's chairman, Pat Foye, is among those with confirmed cases of the coronavirus. Earlier this week, he spoke with WNYC's Brian Lehrer while recovering at home. Here are some highlights from their conversation: Since the MTA announced a 25 percent reduction in bus and subway service last week, we've seen [photos and videos of dangerously crowded trains]( with essential workers forced to violate social distancing guidelines while commuting to their jobs. What can the MTA do to prevent that? "The pictures and videos we’ve seen are, we believe, episodic. They are infrequent, but they’re unacceptable. We’re working closely with the NYPD, the city, and the MTA police to deal with these episodic situations .... We're also creatures of habit. We tend to come down the same stairwell and board in the same place. Sometimes when a car is crowded, one or two cars down the platform may not be so crowded. "We do not have the ability to add additional service given the number of confirmed cases that we have at the MTA — that’s 582 confirmed cases, of which 474 are at New York City Transit. And we have a significant increase of those being quarantined at home, about 3,300 across the MTA, and 2,200 at New York City Transit." Along with the reductions in service, some riders are finding train arrivals less predictable. Can the MTA provide better schedules so essential workers can plan their commutes? "There’s a degree of unpredictability here — 40 percent of the train trips were canceled [Monday] because we didn’t have crews. I can’t commit to a specific schedule. Generally, trains will run on a 15 or 20 minute schedule, but there may be gaps when trains are canceled because of the lack of crews." The D.C. Metro announced that it's [closing the first and last passenger car]( of each train to create a safety buffer between the train operators and the public. A concerned NYC Transit subway operator asks, will the MTA do the same? "That’s not an option available to us, because doing that would reduce the capacity of subway trains by approximately 40 to 50 percent. That would result in the thing everybody wants to avoid, which is additional crowding on subway cars. So, that is not an option in New York City." [Two subway riders appear to sleep on a train car the morning of March 19th, as ridership drops due to the coronavirus.] John Minchillo/AP A rider says she sees more homeless people on the subway now, which strikes her as "unsafe on a few levels," and asks, are the police or the MTA doing anything about it? "We are aware of the issue. The police — NYPD and MTA police — are increasing their presence, both in terms of dealing with the crowding issue, but also with the homeless issue, and we’re very focused on it. "There are fewer people overall on the subways, which makes the homeless situation appear bigger. We’ve asked the NYPD and MTA police to do all they can to arrange for housing or services for the homeless, who are also a medically vulnerable population. And we’re doing everything we can to make sure that the homeless get treated with respect, but also that they don’t interfere with the critical essential service that the MTA is running now." If the MTA already can't provide reliable schedules because workers are falling ill, what is the plan given that the spread is expected to get worse? "We’re expecting to continue to run service, and you need crews to do that. We’ve put a 50/50 program in place, where 50 percent of our crews are working and the other 50 percent are at home. We believe that will maximize the health of transit workers, minimize the risk to them, but also, prolong as long as possible our ability to continue to provide service, which is our goal. "The MTA workers are performing heroically, and are rising to the challenge of taking first-responders and essential workers to and from their jobs throughout this pandemic." [Hear the entire interview from The Brian Lehrer Show](. About Those Too-Crowded-To-Socially-Distance Subways [commuters, most of whom are essential workers, crowd a subway car, despite social distancing guidelines] Eileen Walsh Though MTA chair Pat Foye repeatedly claimed on Tuesday that instances of [crowded train cars]( are "episodic," it's still apparently happening. Yesterday, someone on Reddit posted [this video of a packed train]( with the caption, "I work at a hospital in the Bronx, and this is what my daily commute looks like." And the problem hasn't just been on the subways. A city worker who asked to remain anonymous sent Gothamist this photo from their Monday morning commute on the BX21 bus. They described the situation as "unsafe and scary," noting that they had to wait an extra 15 minutes because of reduced service. [a photo of a crowded bus in the Bronx] Gothamist Tipster The issue of overcrowding is not affecting all New Yorkers equally. The [New York Times]( reported this week that in Manhattan, where the median income is around $80,000, subway ridership has dropped about 75 percent. But in the Bronx, which has a median income of $38,000, ridership is only down 55 percent. Lower-income workers like home health aides, who've been deemed "essential" during the pandemic, don't have the privilege of working from home. "By the time you're down to Union Square it's somewhat reasonable, but when you're up in those higher places you're packed like sardines," Eileen Walsh, a nanny who commutes from the Bronx, told Gothamist. "The poor people are doing all the work." On Monday, [Mayor de Blasio announced]( that the NYPD and MTA police would begin enforcing social distancing on mass transit, with fines for violators up to $500. "The PD is going to go out there, if they see any overcrowding, they are literally [going to] split it up, pull people off the train, moving along into different cars, whatever it takes," the mayor said on NY1. "This is literally about protecting people's lives. So, anyone who sees it, call 311. Anyone who sees a train come up and it’s crowded, don't get on it." What We Know About The Subway Fire That Killed One MTA Worker And Injured 16 Other People [a photo of a subway car that burned down last Friday] Gothamist Subway conductor Garrett Goble, a 36-year-old husband and father of two, [died early last Friday]( after his northbound 2 train went up in flames at the 110th Street-Central Park North station. The NYPD said four passengers were rushed to the hospital in critical condition after suffering from smoke inhalation. Seven other civilians and five firefighters suffered minor injuries, as well. According to the [New York Post]( the NYPD suspects a 48-year-old man — who was charged with setting a fire outside a Columbia University building last month — could also be responsible for the subway blaze. Police believe the fire was started inside a shopping cart that was found on the train. The cops said last Friday that platform fires were also found at the 86th Street and 96th Street 2 train stations, which is why they quickly suspected arson as the cause of the death. Transit workers [told The City]( that this fire added to their fears right now, given that the coronavirus has caused a drop in overall ridership but a supposed rise in people riding the trains at night. "The situation on the trains is out of control," one 2 train conductor said. "They could be homeless, they could be emotionally disturbed, but they know they’re not going to be removed from the trains, so they’ll ride all day." Here's What Else Is Happening The COVID-19 hotline that was set up for MTA employees has been overwhelmed. To handle the volume — up to 8,000 calls a day, so far — the agency brought in outside expertise and added 200 workers to answer phones. But transit workers now say the problem is that they don't get a call back after they file their initial question or concern. An MTA spokesperson said the agency is doing the best it can, but it's "not a medical provider," and transit employees should call their doctor or the state's coronavirus hotline if they can't get through to the MTA's line. ([The City]( The NYPD will no longer respond to minor car crashes. After quietly testing the policy change on Staten Island last year, police say they'll no longer respond to crashes that only result in property damage. "People often complain that it took the cops three hours to show up to the scene of their fender-bender, but that’s because cops are out fighting actual crime and responding to real emergencies," said Brooklyn City Councilmember Justin Brannan. "If no one was injured, move your car out of the way so you’re not blocking traffic. It’s a fender-bender, not the JFK assassination." One reason for pause: Taking the NYPD out of the process could lead to an increase in fraudulent insurance claims. ([Streetsblog]( People working from home can donate their MetroCards to essential workers who need them. Sophie Vershbow, a New York City native, started the initiative after receiving her monthly unlimited card in the mail and realizing she wouldn't be using it. It's a simple operation: People with cards to spare can enter their name and contact information into a Google Spreadsheet, and anyone who needs the card can contact them directly and arrange to get it by mail. ([QNS.com]( The city's four small stretches of temporarily driverless roads didn't see much action last weekend. Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, and the Bronx each have a sliver of roadway that's being closed to cars for much of the weekend to give New Yorkers extra space to go outside while social distancing. But our photographer saw more cops present to enforce the six-foot rule than regular civilians there to hang out while six feet apart. The problem, some argue, is that these four locations are prohibitively far from where people live and would want to go outside. Should the city create dozens of car-free stretches like this across the five boroughs? ([Gothamist]( Weekend Service Changes: Night of April 3rd – Early Morning on April 6th This is a partial list of major service disruptions scheduled for the weekend. For a complete list of the MTA's Weekender updates, [check here](. train service between 96 St and 148 St in Manhattan will be replaced by trains and free shuttle buses. No trains will be running overnight. Jamaica-bound trains will be rerouted over the line between 47-50 Sts, Manhattan to Roosevelt Av, Queens. [Check here]( for complete details about the Long Island Rail Road. For NJ Transit, [check here]( for the latest service advisories. Upcoming Meetings and Events Monday, April 20th Joint Metro-North, Long Island Rail Road Commitee Meeting — 8:30 a.m. NYCT/MTA Bus Committee Meeting — 10:00 a.m. Wednesday, April 22nd MTA Board Meeting — 10:00 a.m. [From the MTA]( Meetings are held at MTA Board Room, 2 Broadway, 20th Floor. Meeting attendees are required to go through a security screening upon entering the building. Meetings may begin up to 30 minutes before scheduled start time. Attendees are encouraged to arrive early. [a portrait of James Ramsay] James Ramsay is aware that last week's newsletter headline had two glaring typos, and he deeply regrets it. 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