Historic Late Night Subway Shutdown Begins In NYC

NEW YORK CITY — New York City subways shut down for the first time in more than a century Wednesday morning as MTA workers rushed to scrub down trains and cops told homeless people to leave the cars.

There were more than 1,000 NYPD officers and about 700 transit workers clearing out and cleaning out the city's subway system, said MTA Chairman and CEO Pat Foye.

"I think it's fair to say that it was a quite successful and the first closing, scheduled closing, of the subways overnight," Foye said Wednesday.

"We cleaned and disinfected yesterday nearly every car in service."

Cleanliness concerns amid the new coronavirus pandemic spurred Gov. Andrew Cuomo last week to demand the MTA conduct daily disinfections of its subway cars.

The MTA — facing an $8 billion budget deficit after ridership dropped 92 percent — responded with a historic plan to stop late night train service between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. for the first time in 115 years.

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Transit officials estimate about 11,000 riders — among them essential hospital workers — have been relying on late night trains during the COVID-19 shutdown.

While the MTA promised to provide alternative transportation options — such as an essential connector car service and doubling bus trips — one commuter said she was unable to sign up for transit to the hospital where she works.

New York City police and social workers found 252 homeless New Yorkers on the subways and moved 139 to shelters, said Mayor's office spokesperson Freddi Goldstein, but MTA chairman Pat Foye put the number of people removed at 2,000.

Mayor Bill de Blasio celebrated the initiative as a success in the fight to decrease the number of street homeless New Yorkers, of which there are between 3,500 and 4,000, according to the mayor.

"This number is extraordinary," said Mayor Bill de Blasio. "We have never, ever seen so much success in a single night before."

Elizabeth Adams, legislative director for City Council member Stephen Levin, said she saw homeless people kicked off trains without any services provided.

De Blasio disputed claims that homeless people were not provided services.

"We've been adding so many more places ... places that work for them," the mayor said. "It's extraordinarily compassionate and we know it's effective."

The service shutdown will continue until COVID-19 isn't problematic "to this extent," Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Tuesday.

De Blasio also declined to specify the timeline or criteria for reopening the subway beyond, "when the crisis is over."

"My hope is it's a matter of months," the mayor said.

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