NEW YORK (WCBS 880) — A transit advocacy group is pushing for Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the MTA to bring back 24/7 subway service to New York City.
Subways have been shutdown between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. for months to allow for cleaning and sanitizing amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Now, the Riders Alliance has launched a petition, calling for the return of around-the-clock subway service.
"New York is the city that never sleeps, we need a subway that stays awake all night," Policy and Communications Director Danny Pearlstein said. "Right now, roughly 17,000 people at night are shut out of the trains and it's time to provide them the service they need to commute the way they did before the pandemic."
The talk at the MTA has been all about potential "doomsday" cuts unless Washington comes through billions for a New York bailout.
MTA Chairman Pat Foye has warned that the cash-strapped transit agency may have to take "draconian actions," including cutting service and eliminating thousands of jobs, if it doesn’t get a $12 billion federal bailout to make it through next year.
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Pearlstein said the Riders Alliance stands with the MTA 100% on the need for federal aid, but believes there's reason to be cautiously optimistic.
"At the moment things are looking up," Pearlstein said. "The governor himself has repeatedly said that with President-elect Joe Biden coming into office, New York's economic situation will be improving and things will get better."
"And we think there's no better time than that to bring back 24/7 service," he added.