NEW YORK (1010 WINS) -- The MTA is considering installing urine detectors in subway elevators to alert cleaning crews to smelly messes.
During a City Council transportation committee hearing Monday, New York City Transit President Richard Davey revealed the agency is looking into the urine-sensing technology, which has been used in Atlanta and Boston.
“It’s awful for our customers who choose to use the elevator,” Davey told The City.
Urine isn’t only unpleasant for riders, it can also damage elevator equipment, leading to costly maintenance and downtime.
It’s unclear how many of the city’s 353 subway elevators are being considered for the upgrade.
The MTA is reportedly on a hiring spree for cleaners as it plans to begin reopening some subway restrooms in January that have been closed since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Robert Kelley, a Transport Workers Union Local 100 vice president, told The City that urine is a “big” problem for the transit cleaners he represents.
“This thing was the same prior to the bathrooms being closed, but with the homeless situation and the [emotionally disturbed people] in the subway, that’s why it’s become more of an issue,” Kelley said.
Related
Related
Related
