Port Authority Institutes $50 Fine for Unmasked Travelers

By Yehudit Garmaise

   Starting on Monday, Nov. 2, New York City travelers by air, bus, train will be charged $50 for refusing to wear masks.

  Yesterday, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey announced that although it will continue to encourage voluntary compliance, the agency will fine anyone who refuses to wear a mask or refuses to wear a face covering appropriately as part of the agency’s commitment to support the mask-wearing requirements in the transportation facilities of both NY and NY to protect passengers and employees from COVID-19.

  The Port Authority facilities at which face coverings are requires are all airport terminals, PATH stations and trains, AirTrain stations and trains, the Midtown Bus Terminal, the George Washington Bridge Bus Station, and Oculus.   

   Since March, the Port Authority has used public announcements, posters, digital signs, mask giveaways, education days, and one-on-one interaction to make travelers aware of the health and safety protocols established by New York and New Jersey in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, an agency statement said.

  The Port Authority’s move to fine mask-less travelers comes after Gov. Andrew Cuomo initiated a $50 fine, last month, for anyone who refuses to wear a mask on Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) subways and buses.

   Although enforcement of Gov. Cuomo’s fine has been limited, MTA riders reported in surveys that their mask-wearing compliance increased after the fines went into effect on Sept. 14.