![\"MTA](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Screenshot-2026-03-23-at-5.57.23-PM.jpg\" "\\"TWU's")
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FILE \u2013 An MTA New York City Transit conductor on board a subway train.<\/p>\n
REUTERS<\/p>\n
State legislative leaders should oppose a renewed Transport Workers Union (TWU) push to require two-person crews on every subway line that currently uses them, argued a constellation of good government and business groups in a Wednesday letter<\/a>.<\/p>\n In the missive, the coalition urged State Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, and three chairs of relevant committees to shoot down the TWU Local 100<\/a>-backed effort to prevent the MTA from expanding one-person train operation (OPTO) to more subway lines. Most subway lines currently operate with two-man crews, except for the three shuttle services and certain lines during off-peak hours.<\/p>\n The letter was authored and signed by leaders of Reinvent Albany, the Citizens Budget Commission, and NYU\u2019s Marron Transit Costs Project, among other groups.\n<\/p>\n The groups, many of which also opposed the bill\u2019s previous incarnation, argued lawmakers should reject it because it would put the city\u2019s subways at a disadvantage compared to other systems around the world.<\/p>\n \u201cThis legislation would prevent the MTA from adopting the industry standard and realizing operational efficiencies as it deploys new trains designed to work with the billions of dollars of advanced signal technology being installed throughout the subway system,\u201d the letter reads.<\/p>\n The MTA is also fiercely opposed to the legislation. New York City Transit President Demetrius Crichlow aired similar arguments<\/a> to the coalition of groups during last month\u2019s MTA board meeting. The fight is taking place as the TWU and the MTA negotiate a new contract, with the current one expiring on May 15.<\/p>\n The measure, sponsored by state Sen. Kevin Parker<\/a> and Assembly Member Monique Chandler-Waterman<\/a> in their respective chambers, is aimed at protecting the jobs of conductors, who would be replaced by automated systems under OPTO, leaving train drivers as the only humans operating subway trains.<\/p>\n Proponents, including disability advocates, say the legislation is necessary because conductors are essential to helping passengers safely exit trains during emergency situations.\n<\/p>\n Both houses of the state legislature approved a previous version of the bill last year, which would have also required the MTA to return to two-man crews on trains already using OPTO, but Gov. Kathy Hochul ultimately vetoed it<\/a>.<\/p>\n