The MTA says it’s facing a financial calamity thanks to the loss of revenue due to the coronavirus, and its asking for a federal bailout. 

In a letter to New York State’s congressional delegation, MTA Chairman Pat Foye is asking for $4 billion. That's because the agency has kept running at full service despite subway ridership being down 60 percent, and Metro-North ridership down 90 percent. 

Foye says if this continues for another 6 months, the agency will lose $3.7 billion in revenue, and even more in cleaning costs for trains, buses and stations. That doesn’t even account for the expected loss in state tax revenue, which could be more than $6 billion.

All this for an agency that was already on precarious financial footing.