Governor Hochul and MTA Chair and CEO Lieber Commend Heroic MTA Workers at April Board Meeting

 

Hochul Makes History as First Governor to Attend an MTA Board Meeting

 Governor Kathy Hochul and Metropolitan Transportation Authority Chair and CEO Janno Lieber today commended 18 heroic MTA workers for their life-saving actions responding to the shooting at the 36 St station on Tuesday, April 12. The decisive actions of these 18 MTA employees helped to ensure the safety of passengers during the Sunset Park subway incident. The ceremony marked the first time that a sitting governor visited an MTA Board meeting.

 

“During the tragic shooting that occurred on the subway on April 12, one man set out to divide us. In response, our MTA workers sent a clear message: Don’t mess with New Yorkers, because if you attack one of us, you attack all of us,” Governor Hochul said. “These workers stepped up without hesitation to do everything they could to protect their fellow New Yorkers, and today we honor their heroism. Time and time again we see the heroes of the MTA work around the clock calmly in the midst of mayhem to ensure New Yorkers have efficient and safe transportation, and I am incredibly grateful for all their hard work and courage.”

 

Metropolitan Transportation Authority Chair and CEO Janno Lieber said, “Thank you to Governor Hochul for honoring our MTA colleagues for their role in responding to the April 12 shooting. Even with all the training that employees undergo, you can’t begin to appreciate what it’s like to experience something like this tragic incident until it happens. But these brave MTA employees stepped up – like they always do – to take care of New Yorkers and each other. They represent the best of New York. It is their hard work that keeps our system running day in and day out, in rain, in snow, and in all conditions – during a pandemic no less! – 24/7, 365 days a year. They are the heart and soul of the MTA, and we thank them, today and every day, for their service and dedication.”  

 

Governor Hochul presented commendations to the following MTA employees:  

  

·       David Artis, Train Operator  

·       Raven Haynes, Conductor  

·       Joseph Franchi, Train Operator  

·       Dayron Williams, Conductor   

·       Niall Maguire, General Superintendent   

·       Gilberto Rosado, Train Service Supervisor  

·       Jose Martinez, Conductor  

·       Mark Wolodarsky, Line Superintendent  

·       Sheila Hutson, District Customer Service Manager  

·       Rolando Hernandez, Group Station Manager  

·       Louis Lanfair, Group Station Manager  

·       Chantay Adams, Group Station Superintendent  

·       Angel Oquendo, Cleaner, NYC Transit Authority  

·       Charlene Gardner, Cleaner, NYC Transit Authority  

·       Peter Stone, Train Service Supervisor  

·       Tanyia Brand-Jones, Digital Communications, Staff Analyst II, Digital Communications Unit    

·       Annie Morrison, Digital Communications, Staff Analyst II, Digital Communications Unit   

·       Tyler Schow, Digital Communications, Manager, Customer Communications, Digital Communications Unit  

 

Artis and Haynes were the N train crew members who helped passengers to evacuate the Manhattan-bound train at the 36 St station. Franchi and Williams were operating a Brooklyn-bound N train one station away and stopped the R train at the 25 St station to ensure the train's riders were not heading into a dangerous situation.  

 

Schow, Morrison, and Brand-Jones were members of the MTA’s Digital Communications Unit, who rapidly responded to the incident by providing clear service information, and they responded to an enormous volume of customer inquiries. Brand-Jones wrote the initial delay message for this incident, keeping a cool head and gleaning the most important service impact information as multiple conflicting reports came in.  

 

Hutson, Lanfair, Hernandez, and Adams were station management team members who, upon notification of the incident, immediately made their way to 25 St and then 36 St to evaluate the situation. They provided support to MTA workers at the two stations and coordinated customer service to assist riders whose journeys were impacted by the incident. They also aided law enforcement by placing blue tarping around the station to allow the investigation to proceed securely.  

Stone is a Train Service Supervisor who was in Bay Ridge at the 95 St station at the time of the incident. He went to 36 St immediately, where his detailed knowledge of the station proved invaluable to the NYPD as the investigation proceeded. He also applied the hand brake on the incident train to keep it secured in the station and contacted train crews to make sure they would know to bypass 36 St during the period of the incident and investigation.  

 

Oquendo and Gardner were station cleaners on the scene at the 36 St and 25 St stations as the incident occurred. They calmly alerted booth agents and were among the first MTA employees to respond to the incident.  

 

Maguire, Rosado, Martinez, and Wolodarsky were at the 38 St Yard and headed right to the 36 St station after initial reports about the incident. Without knowing the full details of the situation and without hesitation, they were among the first MTA employees to arrive on the scene to respond. They ensured that all customers on incident trains, as well as those on stalled trains on the same line, were able to detrain safely.