For the first time in its history, New York City’s subway system will not run 24 hours a day, seven days a week for an extended period of time
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But some Metropolitan Transportation Authority board members only learned of the decision via the governor’s press conference and expressed alarm at the implications. In his press conference Thursday, one in which de Blasio made a rare joint appearance via webcam, the governor cast the service cuts as an unavoidable disruption, given the scale of the desired cleaning operation and the overriding need to protect the health of the nurses, doctors and food delivery and grocery store workers who are relying on the system during the pandemic.
In his remarks, the mayor said the subway closure would help the city connect the homeless to services. But some advocates for the homeless interpreted the move as an attack on a vulnerable population. In an email Thursday, following Cuomo's announcement, Collins said, "All options were always on the table — the Governor asked the MTA to develop a plan to disinfect the subway system, we developed that plan and this is the best solution.”how much its new initiative would cost. But the authority did say it would provide shuttle buses, dollar vans and, if necessary, for-hire vehicles for the roughly 11,000 riders who use the system between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m.
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