Overview
- Governor Kathy Hochul is reviewing a Legislature‑passed bill that would require two workers on most NYC subway trains, with a Dec. 31 deadline to sign or veto.
- The measure passed overwhelmingly in June — 144‑0 in the Assembly and 57‑2 in the Senate — and would effectively bar one‑person train operation across nearly all services.
- Transit Workers Union leaders back the mandate on safety grounds and have warned of job actions if conductors are removed, despite the state’s Taylor Law restrictions.
- NYU’s Marron Institute and reform group Reinvent Albany urge a veto, citing global data showing fewer than about 6% of major lines use two operators and warning of higher costs and blocked modernization.
- Some exceptions already exist in New York, with the Times Square shuttle and the G train at night operating without conductors in limited circumstances.