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Q&A
Council Member Brewer discusses LED lighting, escalator issues, and homeless outreach in NYC subway system
1:31:44
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3 min
Council Member Gale A. Brewer engages in a Q&A session with MTA officials, focusing on subway infrastructure improvements and social issues. She inquires about LED lighting installation progress, private escalator maintenance, and the handling of homeless individuals in the subway system.
- Brewer emphasizes the importance of LED lighting for accessibility and safety, particularly for disabled riders
- She raises concerns about out-of-service escalators managed by private entities and requests follow-up on specific cases
- The discussion touches on the MTA's efforts to assist homeless individuals in the subway, with Brewer expressing interest in accompanying the outreach team
Gale A. Brewer
1:31:44
Thank you very much.
1:31:45
First, I wanna thank Alberta Rolden.
1:31:47
He's a rock star.
1:31:48
I wanna thank you very much.
1:31:51
At a meeting the other day with some disabled writers, you probably know this, I didn't.
1:31:56
They said that the lights, unless they're LED, can absolutely cause an epileptic attack or something else.
1:32:05
So I just was wondering whether all the lights are LED, going to be LED.
1:32:10
I know we hear about the elevators all the time, but I'm wondering about the lights.
1:32:14
I hadn't thought about it.
Demetrius Crichlow
1:32:15
So, I'm not sure if we're talking about in station
Gale A. Brewer
1:32:18
Stations.
Demetrius Crichlow
1:32:19
So we are converting to LED.
1:32:23
They are brighter.
1:32:25
Customers are telling us that when you come to a station where we've installed LEDs, they feel safer because the the stations are brighter.
1:32:34
We have not heard anything about, epileptic Yeah.
1:32:38
Conditions with the current LEDs that we're installing.
Gale A. Brewer
1:32:41
No.
1:32:41
The old lights.
1:32:42
The old lights, the ones that are not LED, are the challenge.
Demetrius Crichlow
1:32:46
Oh, okay.
Gale A. Brewer
1:32:46
So good thing.
1:32:47
But how what's the time frame for conversion?
Demetrius Crichlow
1:32:51
I am not positive offhand, but I will get that back to you.
1:32:55
I could tell
Gale A. Brewer
1:32:55
you No.
1:32:56
Everybody wants LED.
John McCarthy
1:32:57
Yeah.
1:32:57
We put out a we just put out a release.
1:33:00
We're over two fifty stations, so we're well on our way.
1:33:03
This has been a pretty aggressive work by Demetrius
Jeffrey Margolis
1:33:07
and his I
Gale A. Brewer
1:33:08
would think that you might wanna get the, disabled community to be even more supportive because they really, really would like that.
1:33:15
Just another constituency that would be helpful.
Ydanis Rodriguez
1:33:17
Yes.
Gale A. Brewer
1:33:18
Okay.
1:33:19
This is minor, but the, not citywide, but the Columbus Avenue subway escalator.
1:33:25
Now that's Deutsche Bank's problem.
1:33:27
Probably not yours, but it's out of service.
1:33:29
People are quite upset.
1:33:30
It's a long steep how when it's a private concern, how do you stay on top of them?
Demetrius Crichlow
1:33:36
So we we started a group of employees that are specifically responding to consultants, contractors, private owners that have their elevators and escalators.
1:33:48
They were the worst performing within our subway system.
1:33:54
And just by having more communication directly with them, we've improved.
1:33:58
I wanna say it it would it increased from in the sixties to somewhere in the 80%.
1:34:04
Still much more work that needs to be done, but I think that communication with them when we know outages are going on and holding them to task to get them back in service has been a very important part.
Gale A. Brewer
1:34:14
Okay.
1:34:14
I don't know the status, but you could you get back to me with that one and how your team is staying on top of Deutsche Bank?
Demetrius Crichlow
1:34:21
Sure thing.
Gale A. Brewer
1:34:21
Okay.
1:34:22
And then, I think there's a you know, people understand between you and Bowery, trying to get people off the subway who are sleeping or not supposed to be there.
1:34:30
But what happens, in other words, who follows up?
1:34:34
Do they come back?
1:34:35
What's the status of people getting services?
1:34:38
It's a little bit hard for me because we don't know where the people go when they leave.
1:34:43
We don't know if they get housed, etcetera.
1:34:45
Is that something that you follow?
1:34:47
That's not your job?
Demetrius Crichlow
1:34:48
So so we actually have a team called the scout team, which is going out to different locations and when they come into contact with a person that has needs, they are able to involuntary commit to person to get the resources they they need.
1:35:04
And I would tell you that there are folks at headquarters, into headquarters that do follow through with when that per how that person is doing, if they're continuing to get the resources, and when they are released from services.
1:35:15
You know, again, it's something that we monitor, but, you know, it's not something that we control.
Gale A. Brewer
1:35:20
Okay.
1:35:21
I'd love to go out with the scout team at some time and and be able to follow.
1:35:25
Because I think the problem in general, not just you, street, subway.
1:35:29
Okay?
1:35:30
But we don't stay housed.
1:35:31
We don't like where we are.
1:35:32
There are a whole bunch of issues, and that's what I'm concerned about.
1:35:35
Yep.
Selvena N. Brooks-Powers
1:35:36
Thank you.
1:35:36
I can
Gale A. Brewer
1:35:36
go out with the scout team.
Demetrius Crichlow
1:35:38
Yeah.
1:35:39
I think
John McCarthy
1:35:39
we'll set that up for you.
Gale A. Brewer
1:35:41
Thank you very much.
Selvena N. Brooks-Powers
1:35:42
Thank thank you.