A study conducted by New York University found there is no evidence that public transit is a major source for spreading respiratory viruses. 

The researchers examined data from 121 cities across the country over a 10-year span, and determined the number of people who died from influenza did not increase in cities with higher public transit ridership. This suggests, they say, that public transit is not a big factor in the spread of viruses.

This new study comes as riders remain wary of the subways.

"I’m much more concerned about crowding in elevators than I am in the subway," Mitchell Moss, one of the authors of the paper, and director of the NYU Rudin Center for Transportation, said.

The MTA agrees with the findings, but says it will continue to shut service overnight for costly cleaning — despite a lack of evidence that the coronavirus is widely spread by surface contact.