Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Thursday that he has declared a state of emergency over New York City’s troubled public transit system and has asked its new leader to complete a series of urgent reviews of the agency’s management and aging infrastructure.
The Democratic governor said the state of emergency declaration will help cut red tape and speed up improvements.
The city’s subways and commuter trains have been plagued by rising delays and unreliable service. Dozens of people were injured when a subway derailed Tuesday.
Cuomo, speaking at a conference for the MTA Genius Transit Challenge, which is seeking innovative solutions for the city’s transit woes, said he’s asked Metropolitan Transportation Authority Chairman Joe Lhota to come up with a reorganization plan in 30 days and an equipment review in 60 days. He also wants a 90-day review of transit power failures.
The subway’s “state of decline is wholly unacceptable,” said Cuomo, citing decades of underinvestment, deferred maintenance and surging ridership that have led to a “maddening” situation.
The ongoing subway problems are coupled with repair work that will cause widespread delays at Penn Station, where the subways converge with New York and New Jersey commuter lines and Amtrak trains.
Cuomo repeated his warning that rail riders could face “a summer of hell” but said alternatives like ferries, express buses and creative train scheduling should provide some relief.
