MTA Celebrates Couples who Met on Subways, Buses and Commuter Railroads
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) is celebrating Valentine’s Day and couples who found love in the transit system. Crews placed heart-shaped decals at the Times Sq-42 St station, put floating hearts in the TrainTime app and handed out heart-shaped stickers to riders. New York native and 2026 Golden Globe winner Teyana Taylor also recorded a Valentine’s Day message that will be playing in subway stations throughout the city.
“Love probably isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when you think of the MTA, but anyone who uses our transit system knows that this is the place where people come together,” said MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber. “So don't let the middle seat get between you and the person who just might be the love of your life.”
“The MTA is celebrating Valentine’s Day all weekend with special messaging on digital signage, in our apps and announcements from Harlem native Teyana Taylor,” said MTA Chief Customer Officer Shanifah Rieara. “And if you’re taking the line, you can say you’re catching a ride on the love train.”
The MTA also highlighted couples who met on public transit or connected while working for the Authority. Each couple got a certificate and swag bag featuring MTA goodies.
NYC Transit train service supervisor Brandon Moriarty and assistant train dispatcher Amber Moriarty met in 2016 while Amber was a conductor and Brandon was a train operator. Years passed before the two reconnected and sparked a friendship. When Amber came down with COVID in 2022, Brandon asked if she needed anything and went above and beyond – walking from Dyre Avenue in the Bronx to her home in Mount Vernon – to bring her what she needed. It’s been love ever since, and the two were married in 2024.
Anastasia Gregory and Spencer Seabaugh first met on an uptown train during the morning commute in 2022. After sharing multiple glances, Anastasia gave Spencer her phone to enter his number and the rest is history. The couple was married in 2024.
While Suzanne Elgendy and Edgar Alfonseca didn’t meet on public transit, the subway did play a huge part in their wedding. The Queens natives were married at Katch in Astoria, right near the 30 Av stop on the line. Their 2019 nuptials had a subway theme featuring subway meatball table numbers, a subway map as the seating chart and a photoshoot on the subway platform. The couple says they wanted to honor the subway system as something vital to the city, and now their 3.5-year-old son loves the system just as much as his parents.
Metro-North Railroad employees Liza Abreu, a conductor, and Steven Abreu, an engineer, first met while Steven was an engineering student and felt an immediate connection. The two would bump into each other every now and then, with Steven once bringing Liza cookies, sparking a friendship that turned into a relationship. Two kids and 10 years later, the couple both work on the Hudson Line.