With many New Yorkers having lost confidence in the subway, Assemblyman William Colton (D—Gravesend, Bensonhurst, Bath Beach and Dyker Heights) is calling on the MTA to take long-overdue positive steps to reverse this concerning trend.

“New Yorkers, including many of my constituents, are worried and frustrated by subway service,” Assemblyman Colton said. “Trains run late, accessibility at many stations is limited despite the requirements of the ADA, and increasing reports of violent subway crime make people think twice before taking the train to go to work, or to the doctor, or simply for some well-deserved relaxation. The MTA needs to develop solid plans and use the funds in its coffers to turn the situation around, before it gets any worse.”

In achieving this, the MTA already has a head start, thanks to Governor Kathy Hochul’s commitment to increasing the presence of law enforcement on trains at night, Assemblyman Colton pointed out, noting that her plan includes stationing NYPD officers on every train in the system between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m., with additional officers across the system (which began in earnest earlier this year), plus increasing the number of National Guard officers riding the subway from 750 to 1,000. Governor Hochul has also voiced support for adding LED lighting to all stations to improve visibility and implementing new cameras in trains, as well as adding protective barriers to more than 100 stations to prevent riders from being pushed onto the tracks and expanding the city’s Department of Homeless Services “Welcome Center” program near end-of-line stations to provide assistance to the city’s unhoused population.

“This is a great start, but now the MTA needs to implement these plans effectively, as well as address other issues with the system, such as limited accessibility,” said Assemblyman Colton, noting that only about 29 percent of stations are fully accessible. “The MTA has pledged to make 95 percent of stations fully ADA-compliant by 2055. What I want to know is, why do we have to wait 30 years for that? What about people with mobility issues, including many senior citizens, who now find themselves unable to use the subway? What about parents of young children who use strollers? They can’t wait three decades.”

With safety in mind, Assemblyman Colton also wants to see the MTA develop platform gates that are truly effective at blocking the tracks when the train isn’t in the station, such as currently exist in stations in Japan and England. “If they’re adding gates, which is a great idea, why not choose platform screen doors that prevent any access to the tracks except when the train is there,” he said. “The technology exists. We should take advantage of it, with the goal of preventing deadly assaults, subway surfing and other life-threatening situations, rather than installing easy-to-bypass gates that are only a few feet tall.”

As for efficiency, Assemblyman Colton noted that the implementation of congestion pricing was meant to discourage residents of the outer boroughs from driving into Manhattan. With that in mind, he said, it’s important to provide those residents with appropriate options. “Riders shouldn’t have to wait as long as they often find themselves doing,” he said. “Supposedly, trains come every two to five minutes during peak times, and as much as 20 minutes apart at other points in the day, but tell that to commuters who actually use the trains, which often come late and are uncomfortably crowded when they do come. The MTA must do better.”