Gov. Cuomo Urges MTA Reorganization to Address Homelessness

Homeless people at an MTA Grand Central – 42 Street station entrance/ Photo by Betsy Kim

NEW YORK CITY—In a letter issued to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, New York Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo emphasized that the agency’s reorganization plan due at the end of the month must include a plan to reduce homelessness on the subways.

He noted while crime may be down, the number of homeless people on the subways has increased. His letter stated in 2018 there were 1,771 homeless people living in the subway. But that number surged to 2,178 in 2019, an increase of 23%. He cited MTA statistics that last year trains were delayed 659 times due to homeless people walking on the tracks or creating disruptions. This was an increase of 54% compared to the 428 delays related to the homeless in 2014.