Hochul Vetoed Controversial Bill Mandating Two Operators on Most Subway Trains

ALBANY — Gov. Hochul has vetoed a controversial bill that would have required two operators aboard every subway train with more than two cars, sources told Streetsblog.

The bill (S4091/A4873) would have prohibited the MTA from placing only one operator on most trains operated by the agency. It was sponsored by state Sen. Kevin Parker (D-Brooklyn) and Assembly Member Monique Chandler-Waterman (D-Brooklyn) and championed by the powerful Transit Workers Union Local 100, whose leaders argued the legislation would make trains safer for workers and riders alike. 

But several groups called on Hochul to reject the bill, primarily over its projected labor costs and lack of flexibility. In November, the Citizens Budget Commission, the Partnership for New York City, the Regional Plan Association and Reinvent Albany sent the governor a memo of opposition that asked her to weigh the bill’s risks.

“We strongly support efforts to provide New Yorkers with world-class public transit,” they wrote. “This bill does the opposite by raising MTA operating costs and constraining the MTA’s ability to implement modern operating methods, adopt new technologies, and provide better service for riders.”

The Effective Transit Alliance forcefully opposed the bill, which the group described as “the technological equivalent of requiring every elevator in the city to still be staffed by an elevator operator” and “akin to mandating pagers in the age of smartphones.” 

Hochul’s veto preserves the status quo. The MTA has used one-person train operation — sometimes called “OPTO” — since 2005, and it’s currently in use on the A, G, M and 5 lines as well as all shuttle services. Eliminating what is already the international standard for train operation would have cost $10 million by some estimates.

“OPTO is safe,” Hochul’s veto message stated.

The bill’s death may not end the debate over how many operators a subway train should have. The TWU could pursue the same requirement for two operators during the next round of negotiations with the MTA. The union’s current contract expires in 2026.

Hochul’s decision was first reported by Stefanos Chen of the New York Times.

This story was updated to reflect that Hochul actually vetoed the bill, as predicted.