Buses offered for shelter during nightly NYC subway closures
A homeless man sleeps in an empty station as workers close down the New York City subway system, the largest public transportation system in the nation, for nightly cleaning due to the continued spread of the coronavirus on May 06, 2020 in New York C
NEW YORK (AP) — New York City transit officials said they're providing buses for homeless people to shelter from unseasonably frigid weather this weekend during newly instituted overnight subway closures.
The subway system has been shutting down from 1 to 5 a.m. since Wednesday as part of an outbreak-related plan for daily train disinfecting. City outreach workers have been persuading homeless people to leave the system for shelters during the shutdowns.
With temperatures around the freezing mark and a traces of snow reported in Manhattan’s Central Park, transit officials said they also would provide a limited number of buses at end-of-line stations Saturday and Sunday.
The buses are not for transportation, "but may serve as a place for individuals to escape the elements in the short term,” according to a prepared statement from New York City Transit President Sarah Feinberg and Transport Workers Union Local 100 President Tony Utano.
“We are providing these buses only during this cold snap and expect the city to continue to step up and take responsibility for providing safe shelter for those individuals experiencing homelessness,” according to the statement.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority did not immediately respond to an email Saturday morning asking how many buses were provided and how many people were taking shelter in them.