New Yorkers will “have to improvise” how they tour the city during the next phase of the coronavirus crisis, Mayor Bill de Blasio said on Friday.
“I really want to push back the assumption that we can solve everything at any time,” Hizzoner said in response to a reporter asking if the city has plans for New Yorkers who don’t use cars to not ride in transportation during the pandemic.
“There is not always an opportunity to help people all the time in terms of their transportation needs,” he said. “People have to improvise, and I’m sure they will.”
The comments came a day after de Blasio said “people will make their own choices” when it comes to and from work when New York City reopens next month.
Experts warn the mass transition to cars will “destroy” the city.
Pressured further on Friday about whether he had plans to improve alternative travel, de Blasio pointed to the ongoing clean-up efforts of the government-managed MTA, and the need to add more services to prevent dangerous crowding.
But de Blasio repeated the laissez-faire attitude towards New Yorkers who chose to drive to work during the pandemic.
“I always believe that people will make choices based on the choices they have, and they will make intelligent pragmatic choices, and they cannot expect that the government can meet every need,” he said.
“Right now, this is about doing everything we can to make subways and buses as safe and possible – that people can feel confident about – and after that, people will make whatever choice they make.”
