Res. No. 1745 Title Resolution calling upon the appropriate committee of the City Council to hold hearings on the closing of token booths and reassignment of token booth clerks by the New York City Transit Authority. Body By Council Members Freed, Cruz, Eisland, Linares, Marshall, Quinn, Fiala, Oddo and Golden; also Council Members Carrion, DiBrienza, Harrison, Koslowitz, Michels, Pinkett, Sabini Warden and Nelson. Whereas, The New York City Transit Authority (NYCTA) has indicated that it will close hundreds of token booths in subway stations throughout New York City; and Whereas, The NYCTA has also stated that it is considering eliminating the use of tokens on the subway system thereby effectively enabling the shuttering of many subway station token booths; and Whereas, NYCTA reported in January 2000 that eighty-one percent of its ridership consisted of MetroCard users; and Whereas, The phasing out of tokens and token booths has been made possible by the advent of MetroCard vending machines in subway stations where patrons may purchase MetroCards without the aid of a clerk; and Whereas, On December 18, 2000, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), the parent body of the NYCTA, passed a resolution calling for a reduction of 237 token booth clerks, and the 2001 NYCTA operating budget projects a savings of $6.5 million resulting from the anticipated closing of subway token booths; and Whereas, MTA spokesman Al O'Leary was quoted on December 18, 2000 in the Daily News as saying that while existing clerks would be reassigned to other tasks, such as aiding customers using MetroCard vending machines, rather than being laid off or fired, clerks will not be replaced once they retire or otherwise vacate their positions; and Whereas, In a press release dated February 2, 2000, Transport Workers Union Local 100 advised the public of its belief that the NYCTA has targeted eliminating and/or reducing the hours of service of approximately 129 part-time token booth clerks; and Whereas, NYCTA has indicated that it will reduce the number of clerks in certain subway token booths from two to one and reassign such clerks as customer relations agents to help riders use the MetroCard vending machines; and Whereas, These policies concerning the reassignment of existing token booth clerks will have the effect of reducing the total number of jobs among such personnel through attrition; and Whereas, Elimination of token booth clerks will leave many sections of stations or entire stations completely unstaffed resulting in increased safety concerns for riders; and Whereas, Subway token booth clerks perform vital safety functions, such as calling for emergency services, providing riders with directions and alerting incoming trains of persons on the tracks, which would be lost if their current ranks are not maintained; and Whereas, The Daily News reported that a comparison between September 1999 and September 2000 system-wide subway crime figures found a same-month increase of 13.4% in major felonies, 12% in grand larcenies, 5.6% in robberies and 94% in assaults, all of which indicate that subway crime is rising; and Whereas, The necessity of token booth clerk presence was unfortunately demonstrated by the rape of a young woman on January 27, 2001 in the subway station at Canal Street and Broadway, a location where a token booth clerk was recently replaced by an automated MetroCard vending machine; now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the appropriate committee of the City Council hold hearings on the closing of token booths and reassignment of token booth clerks by the New York City Transit Authority. MBS-2/13/01 LS#3855