NEW YORK, NY – The following statement can be attributed to Tom Wright, President and CEO of Regional Plan Association:

“This is a hard decision to make, but this is the right thing to do. Maintaining a transit system that supports the needs of a 24/7 city is incredibly challenging, both before and during the Covid-19 crisis. RPA first suggested replacing some late night subway service with high-speed buses in our Fourth Regional Plan in 2017 as a critical way to improve maintenance and advance capital projects more rapidly. New bus service that mimics subway service is key, to ensure that riders – including our essential and frontline workers – are not stranded. We are glad the MTA is prioritizing low-wage and shift workers who were already vulnerable and needed improved service, which they will get through this change.”