Assemblymember David I. Weprin (D – Little Neck) held a press conference along with New York State Assemblymember Richard Brodsky, New York State Senator Velmanette Montgomery, Maurice Jenkins, Vice President of Stations for TWU Local 100 as well as members of TWU Local 100, on the steps of City Hall on Thursday, April 1st.

The MTA is in the process of laying-off up to 500 Station Agents, posing a safety risk for the riders of the New York City subway system.

The MTA is currently facing the major problem of proper surveillance of our transit system. The elimination of these vital jobs will further the problems of rider safety in our transit system. Assemblymember David Weprin strongly opposes any subway Station Agent lay-offs. “Our Station Agents are an important line of defense for our New York City subway system. The elimination of these jobs is a detriment to the safety of the infrastructure of our New York City transit system and its ridership, People who ride our subways are entitled to have a Station Agent available to them. Many of the stations are isolated without any source of contact in case of an emergency. I am calling for an immediate reversal of this decision by the MTA,” stated Assemblymember David Weprin.

Assemblymember Richard Brodsky stated “Station Agents are critical to the safety of our subway system. We can not afford to sacrifice the safety of our subway riders, even in tough economic times.”

Station Agents are responsible for calling in hundreds of incidents everyday. In the elimination of these jobs, the MTA is opening the door to an increase in crime and potential terror attacks. In the wake of the suicide bombings in the Moscow metro and the recent fatal stabbings on our subway, the responsibilities of the Station Agents are ever so critical to the safety of our subway system and its riders.

It is imperative that the public is aware of the serious consequences that this proposal may have if these radical cuts are enacted.

John Samuelsen, President, TWU Local 100 stated, “I want to thank Assemblymember Weprin for championing the cause of safety, security and service in our subway system. Stations and platforms without Station Agents are breeding grounds for crime and accidents. Our Station Agents are a critical link in the chain of response to any incident threatening the safety of passengers. And in this era of terrorism against transit systems throughout the world, Station Agents are the eyes and ears of the system.”