MTA Requires Windows to Stay Open on NYC Buses in an Effort to Slow Coronavirus Spread

The New York Post published an article releasing new information on future public transportation requirements.

As more people start to take public transportation, MTA bus drivers will be required to open windows and hatches on all local routes to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

According to a June 23 internal bulletin titled “Increased ventilation in local buses”, MTA “Bus operators are permitted to operate local buses in service with windows and roof hatches open in order to increase ventilation when weather permits.”

Hatches on express buses traveling through tunnels cannot be open, “due to insufficient height clearance.”

Before the crisis, over 50 percent of the city’s population used trains and buses each weekday. After the outbreak hit, ridership plummeted as workers stayed home to slow the spread of the virus. Now, as New York slowly starts to reopen, they are trying to lure riders back onto public transportation without putting individuals and the city at risk.

Speaking with NY1 Tuesday morning, Interim Transit President Sarah Feinberg said, “Look, we’ve also got windows that are open on buses so there’s a lot of fresh air circulating. I think right now it’s kind of personal preference,”