President Davey Joined by New York City Transit Senior Vice President of Subways Crichlow
Classes Accelerate Front Line Workforce Regrowth Following Pandemic-Induced Hiring Freeze
New Classes Join Hundreds of Train Conductors, Train Operators and Bus Operators Who Completed Training in 2021 and 2022
View Photos from the Graduations
New York City Transit President Richard Davey and New York City Transit Senior Vice President of Subways Demetrius Crichlow celebrated the graduation of 31 new train conductors and 37 train operators following their successful completion of training at the New York City Transit Learning Center in Brooklyn.
These conductors and operators will help New York City Transit (NYCT) tackle crew shortage challenges and bolster the frequency of subway service. This marked the formal end of intensive training that began in February 2022. The graduation took place as New York City Transit Subway ridership hovers between 50% and 60% of pre-pandemic levels.
“The subways have kept the city moving for the past two and a half years, and this group of train conductors will play a crucial role in providing increased service for those who depend on us,” said New York City Transit President Richard Davey. “New Yorkers can count on the subway to get them where they need to go this summer.”
“Through our improved recruiting and training efforts, we will be able to provide better service and faster wait times for our riders,” said New York City Transit Senior Vice President of Subways Demetrius Crichlow. “These operators get us that much closer to reaching pre-pandemic staffing levels.”
Since February 2021, 353 train operators and 431 conductors have joined NYC Transit. Last month, subway on-time percentage rose to 83.9% and the average customer experienced both less additional wait time and less additional travel time riding onboard trains. Compared to pre-pandemic levels, customers saved 15 seconds in additional journey time.
The new employees join the 953 bus operators and 784 train operators and conductors who recently completed their training — part of a deliberate effort by the MTA to rapidly grow the number of bus operators, subway train operators and conductors. A hiring freeze, necessitated by a fiscal crisis that developed during the pandemic, depleted the ranks of train operators and conductors with many veteran workers retiring or leaving their frontline posts. Along with improved recruiting efforts and speeding up training for new employees, the MTA addressed the staff shortage by bringing back recently retired train operators, scheduling additional overtime and buying back vacation time.