NEW YORK ((DailyNews)) — Overnight service on New York City’s subways returned Monday for the first time in more than a year as the city continued its emergence from the coronavirus pandemic.
The first morning of uninterrupted train service went well, Metropolitan Transportation Authority Chairman Pat Foye said.
“We’re really happy to be bringing 24-7 service back,” Foye said on WINS radio. “It’s important to the economy of New York, restaurants, bars, nightclubs etc., getting patrons and employees to and from, and it’s also important psychologically.”
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who controls the MTA, announced earlier this month that subway service would return to 24-hour operation on May 17.
The system was shut down between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. starting April 30, 2020 so trains and stations could be disinfected. The overnight closure was scaled back to 2 a.m. to 4 a.m. in February.
Mayor Bill de Blasio said Monday that the city would be adding 250 more police officers to the subway system to battle a spike in crime, including several slashings last week.
Foye said the MTA would send 100 more of its own officers and 100 more private security contractors into the system to supplement the New York Police Department presence.
MTA officials have been sparring with de Blasio over subway crime for several weeks.
Sarah Feinberg, the interim head of New York City Transit, said after the slashings last week that de Blasio was “risking New York’s recovery every time he lets these incidents go by without meaningful action.”
De Blasio said Monday that the MTA should “pull its weight also” and put more of its own officers in the subway system.
Foye said enhanced cleaning of subway trains will continue despite the return of all-night service.