De Blasio: Police will pull riders from crowded New York subway cars

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) said Monday that New York Police Department officers will pull people out of crowded subway trains as the city continues to grapple with the coronavirus pandemic. 

“The PD is going to go out there, if they see any overcrowding, they’re going to literally split it up, pull people off the train, move them along into different cars, whatever it takes,” de Blasio said Monday in an interview with NY1. “This is literally about protecting people’s lives.”

The mayor said crowding on subways is “obviously not typical at this point,” with few people using the public transportation system, but at times crowds have formed on trains if a train broke down or service was delayed. 

“That’s not acceptable. I understand people are trying to get somewhere, but nobody should be getting on a crowded train,” de Blasio said. 

The mayor said the city will have to further tighten restrictions “unless people really, really honor social distancing.” 

For the most part, he said officials have seen “overwhelming compliance with the rules,” but some people are holding out. 

Fines of $500 can be issued by officers to people who do not follow guidelines and ignore warnings from officers, de Blasio said. 

Anyone who sees a crowd forming is asked to call 311, and police or other agencies will respond.