NEW YORK — The Metropolitan Transportation Authority has authorized a task force to address issues regarding the homeless and panhandling on its subways and buses.
The announcement at Wednesday’s MTA board meeting follows a letter earlier this month from Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo urging the board to address the issue as part of its reorganization plan. In 2019, there are 2,178 homeless people living in the subway, an increase of 23% over 2018; MTA statistics showed trains were delayed 659 times in 2018 by homeless people engaging in disruptive and dangerous behavior including blocking train doors.
Additionally, the New York Daily News reported Tuesday that the Bowery Residents’ Committee, a nonprofit contractor hired by the MTA to help with homeless outreach, turned away the needy and provided inaccurate information to the agency. A report released Tuesday by New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli said that outreach workers at Penn Station and Grand Central Terminal manipulated time sheets and ignored people seeking help. Since 2010, the MTA has awarded more than $14 million in contracts to the nonprofit Bowery Residents’ Committee; a four-year audit by DiNapoli’s office found workers spent just 26% of their time conducting in-person outreach to homeless individuals, half of the 47% to 59% required by the MTA contract.
The Wall Street Journal reported [subscription required] that Grand Central Terminal’s lower level dining concourse revenues fell by 3% in 2018, in part because of homeless people using the space, according to the MTA. A board report mentioned that the continuing challenge of an aggressive homeless population thas not helped in promoting the food concourse as a convenient choice for dining,
Chairman Patrick Foye told reporters after the meeting, “Despite the fact that we are spending a significant amount of money on helping the homeless on the subway, obviously, the numbers dictate it hasn’t been successful. … We need to take a look at the social service vendors that we use for this service.”
In Washington DC the homeless advocates fought against the subway system closing the gates and locking everyone outside when the system did it’s nightly shut down. Many of the stations stunk or urine as soon as it warmed up. The homeless advocates demanded that bath rooms be put in so the homeless could go to the bathroom there. Any time the homeless were asked why they did not go to shelters instead the direct response was “the people there are crazy and we don’t feel safe”. Seeing as many of the homeless have mental health problems it is not a good idea to have them living in a public transportation facility.
One possible solution – I do not, repeat do not, advocate this, it is simply a possible solution – is to revive the vagrancy statutes, make them federal, and round up anyone who cannot come up with the requisite wherewithal. Then, ship them off to a work camp at the Nevada test range to fill in the holes. Or some such.
The above comments are general in nature and do not form the basis for an attorney/client relationship. They do not constitute legal advice. I am not your attorney. Find your own damn fuerher.
AL. the Milwaukee Amtrak station has always been a pit stop for persons with no other place to “go”. Which is probably the least of problems in our society. Men needing a toilet isn’t the greatest threat to our safety. Hey, it’s my own pit stop if I’m downtown by bicycle, it’s a long ways back home. No one ever threw me out of the mens room.
The update is that this year a homeless encampment (Milwaukee’s first) has sprung up directly across the street.
Unfortunately, it is very much a political issue when the city, county, state, or federal government refuses to enforce the law. There are areas of San Francisco, Seattle, and a few other cities where it is both uncomfortable and unsafe to go, for that very reason. Is this why we pay taxes?
I just wish you guys would keep the politics out of the forum. Mr. Fisher nailed it; homelessness is a mental health issue, not a political issue. I have been a railfan my whole life and until recently, politics never came up. People enjoyed each other because of their common interest in rail.
Republicans aren’t predictably mean. They are predictably relentless for people to TRY to be responsible citizens!
JOHN P. Republicans “so predictably mean”? John what planet do you live on? Republicans are part and parcel of the welfare state. The difference in spending on social programs as between the Republicans and the Democrats isn’t large enough to measure.
At a time around 2005 when the Republicans controlled the White House, the Senate, and the House of Representatives, I asked my Congressman (then and now Frank James “Jim” Sensenbrenner, R- 5th Wisconsin CD) to name one federal program the Republicans had cut or one federal regulation the Republicans had eased. He couldn’t name one.
JOHN – By calling Republicans “so predictably mean” you are calling me “so predictably mean”. I don’t take that lightly. I’d match my charitable contributions and my charitable works to youyrs any day of the week. So try me.
BTW JOHN – Try voting. You won’t regret it if you do.
Transit agencies are looking for an answer as to why public transit ridership is on a glide path downwards. There are several reasons but crime and homelessness on the trains and buses is a large part of the answer.
Just a reminder, my searching Twitter for Wall Street Journal article headlines has allowed me to read the full article, which is normally behind the pay wall, as TRAINS mentioned.
Re: Brought to you by the Democrat party
Perhaps if the Republican Party wasn’t so predictably mean over the last 50 years more people would be able to vote for somebody other than the Democratic Party.
People who are still silly enough to vote STILL only have 2 choices in the great-n-glorious country: Red Team Mean or Blue Team Dumb.
As I don’t vote anymore I guess I’d rather have dumb than mean; but it’s sad that all Americans have are two bad choices.
As far as the solution, IDK but if that “homeless” buys a token or ride on subway……… Why are they homeless?Let me tell ya, Ive walked past those “homeless” in Chicago, and just walked by, flipped a coin in the guitar case, kept walking. I came very close to being “homeless” myself. SO, whatcha gonna do? I can bet that those “homeless” were once like me, walked past a homeless person and didn’t even blink. Its a sad situation, not all homeless are homeless because of drugs, alcohol, Veterans. Or just priced out of society. Rounding them up would a huge PR nightmare, SO….once again, WHATCHA GONNA DO?
Wrong again. There is no “Democratic” right to camp out in a public space. For instance LA Union Station reserves waiting room space for ticket holders only. Facilities have the right to remove everyone when they close for the night, including airports. The NY Subway’s problem is they do not close, hence the problem.
A “right” to camp out in a public space, not by New York State law, but by the fiat of tyrannical federal judges. Brought to you by the Democrat party and the lawless federal judges appointed by Democrat presidents Carter, Clinton and Obama. Why is it there is no “right” for the homeless to camp out in the Oval Office but there is a “right” to camp out in a train station.
I was in the Chicago subway. From a long distance away I heard a blasting noise. It was a young woman singing amplified karoake for tips. Although she wasn’t all that bad a singer, I fund it an extreme nuisance. Some federal judge appointed by a Democrat deemed it free speech. She wouldn’t be allowed to do that in the courtroom or the judge’s office (also public property) but she’s allowed to do it in the subway. Go figure.
MICHAEL – Homelessness is a mental health (crime, addiction, lack of self care) issue. The question on this forum is where and when homeless individuals can camp out. Yes that’s a political issue. My vote says, No camping in facilities meant for another purpose. In my area the county parks close at 10:00 PM which means everyone out. Everyone means everyone, If the rule applies to a family having a picnic or two horny teenagers feeling each other up, the law applies as well to a vagrant looking for a place for his tent for the night. All equally.
True homelessness is not a Republican/Democratic or liberal/conservative issue. It is usually a mental health issue. All the name calling and political posturing accomplishes nothing.
Rule #1: When you subsidize something, you get more of it. The libs have never, in 60 years, learned that lesson.
Is there any money spent on social housing in the U.S. for these people.
The courts in Canada ruled that the homeless can set up camp in parks and other public spaces only if there is no housing available for them.
GERALD – You prove my point. The reason why vagrants pollute our public spaces is that Democrat politicians are fine with them doing so. The Democrat Party is the vile enemy of those who work for a living or take care of themselves and their families.
The purpose of an airport/. transit station/ rail station/ public park/ sidewalk etc. is for the patrons of that facility. Vagrants have no more right to encamp there than they do in my house or yours.
I’m not a mean person. Sure there should be shelters for the unfortunate. Anyone who is an active criminal, a drug user, or who causes any trouble should be turned away. Former criminals who have served their time (a large portion of the homeless census) should be welcome but must obey the rules of the house.
I always thought it would solve two problems at once to round them all up and ship them to the Iran and drop them there…but people think that’s cruel. As for Airports having control of who stays and who doesn’t…I work at an airport that is technically closed between the hours of 11:30 pm and 3:30 a.m.(there are no flights because of a curfew), however the city council has forbidden the airport from locking the doors to the lobbies and kicking out the homeless…so that’s where some of them sleep overnight, it was so bad the airport had to close the restrooms in the parking garage.
Why not just turn over the GCT dining space to them, and furnish their food as well? Problem solved; that’s about what San Francisco and Seattle have done with their city streets.Let the “rich” commuters find other places to wine and dine; there are plenty nearby. Show some compassion, dammit!
ROBERT – You’re onto something. Transit is reverting to a rush-hour safety valve when nothing else works to get you where you are going, and when large crowds ensure safety in numbers. The days a tourist on the New York subway at 11:00 PM, have come and gone.