Senator Jeff Klein Collects over 1,000 Signatures to Save Columbus Statue at Morris Park Columbus Day Parade; Petition Drive will Continue for Two Weeks

Senators Klein & Savino, Assembly Members Gjonaj & Benedetto, Italian-American leaders & parade-goers rally to save cultural symbol at Morris Park Columbus Day Parade

Senator Jeff Klein, joined by Senator Diane Savino, Assemblyman Mark Gjonaj, Assemblyman Michael Benedetto, Italian-American community leaders and Columbus Day parade-goers, sent a strong message to the city: leave the statue of Christopher Columbus at Columbus Circle alone.

Senator Klein led a petition drive at stations along the route named after Columbus’ ships — the Nina, the Pinta and the Santa Maria — collecting over 1,000 signatures in support of keeping the 75-foot high statue standing. The petition drive will continue for two weeks and then the signatures will be sent to the city’s commission reviewing public art.

“It is offensive to tear down an important part of Italian-American history in New York City and we will not stand for it. The statue of Christopher Columbus represents the Italian immigrants’ voyage to New York City at a time when the group faced rampant discrimination. New York City presented immense opportunities and this statue was a gift, and remains symbolic to the entire Italian-American community. We will fight to make sure this symbol of Italian-American success and pride is not taken down,” said Senator Klein.

“Italian-Americans have a history of giving back to this city, and that’s what that statue represents: a contribution to the city of New York from Italian immigrants. They scraped together pennies from their pockets so they could contribute to the effort to give a gift to a city that had opened up the doors of opportunity for them,” said Senator Savino.

“As a celebration of Italian American heritage and their invaluable contribution to who we are as a nation, the statue represents the Italian community’s spirit of hope, aspiration and discovery that is uniquely American. It is with that spirit that I will proudly stand with my colleagues as we honor the values of community, family and hard work,” said Assemblyman Gjonaj.

“This is a clear example of a ‘the sky is falling mentality.’ Everyone is rushing around trying to topple all statutes in sight. We need to accept the good and bad part of our heritage without trying to sugarcoat anything. Sanity and reason must return,” said Assemblyman Benedetto.

“Christopher Columbus is a hero to the Italian-American community. He was the fit immigrant to these shores. His voyage made way to millions of immigrants to land on these shores. He should remain to be celebrated rather than vilified,” said John Fratta, New York State Commission for Social Justice Chairman.

In its 41st year, the Morris Park Columbus Day Parade is the second largest in the state. This year’s kick-off drew the ire of elected officials, Italian-American leaders, community members who want the statue of Christopher Columbus to stand.

At a time when Italian immigrants faced discrimination, Il Progresso, an Italian language newspaper, raised funds to erect the marble artwork as a gift to New York City where Italians found opportunity.

It is seen as a cultural symbol of the Italian-American experience in New York.

Wave Hill Events Oct 20–Oct 27

Wave Hill’s answer to Halloween, and a much-anticipated event each fall, this year Enchanted Wave Hill Weekend celebrates the aos sí, found in Celtic mythology and Gaelic tradition. With guest storyteller and harpist Marianne McShane, guest guitarist/singer Terry McCann and Stephen Gara on the uilleann pipes, the flute and the tin whistle, it’s a time to make art deeply connected to nature. Dressed in all their fall finery, the gardens will provide the perfect complement to the celebration.

For a very different kind of experience of the gardens, I recommend exhibiting artist Joiri Minaya’s performance at the Aquatic Garden on Saturday afternoon. Check out her story on our new portal for Glyndor Gallery’s Sunroom Project Space.

Thu, October 19    Art Workshop: Plein Air-Journals    SOLD OUT

Using the intimate space of the journal page, depict human-made elements in the landscape in this outdoor workshop. Artist Wennie Huang shares traditional and alternative journal formats and provides individual guidance on drawing and plein-air techniques. Basic materials provided; participants receive a short list of additional recommended materials. This four-session workshop continues October 26,November 2 and 9. $185/$150 Wave Hill Member. Registration required, online at wavehill.org or onsite at the Perkins Visitor Center.

WAVE HILL HOUSE, 10AM–1PM

Fri, October 20    Portfolio Review: Project-Based Art

Six curators, critics or gallerists will meet individually with artists to give feedback on their work with a focus on emerging artists who do project-based and site-based work. Fees, guest reviewers’ bios and registration information at wavehill.org.

WAVE HILL HOUSE, 2–5PM

Sat, October 21    Family Art Project: Leaf Crowns and Fairy Houses

Sit with your wee ones and listen to stories of the “people of the mounds,” the supernatural race of fairies or elves found in Celtic mythology, as told by guest storyteller Marianne McShane and her blue harp. Then travel into Wave Hill’s woodland, and, using only natural materials and a bit of jute twine, create your own tiny, fairy-sized dwelling using found sticks, leaves, moss and bark, or string together a series of autumn leaves to form a fall wand or crown—and behold the magic! At 11AM and at noon, guest musicians Terry McCann, a guitarist and singer, and Stephen Gara on the uilleann pipes (a delicate version of the standard bagpipe), the flute and the tin whistle, offer a short concert of Irish jigs, reels and songs. The pair will also visit Wave Hill’s woodland with their instruments, to serenade the aos sí and lead a short autumn fairy parade. Free, and admission to the grounds is free until noon.Enchanted Wave Hill Weekend event. 

WAVE HILL HOUSE, 10AM‒1PM

Sat, October 21    In The Shop: Spend $50, Earn a Book of Fairy Stickers

This weekend pairs the glorious fall gardens with a family event that is much loved by visitors. Plan on a browse in The Shop―spend $50 and take home your own bit of magic with a book of fairy stickers.Enchanted Wave Hill Weekend event.

PERKINS VISITOR CENTER, 10AM–4PM

Sat, October 21    Garden Highlights Walk

Join a Wave Hill Garden Guide for an hour-long tour of seasonal garden highlights. Free, and admission to the grounds is free until noon.

MEET AT PERKINS VISITOR CENTER, 11AM

Sat, October 21    Wave Hill History Walk

Discover the fascinating history of Wave Hill’s architecture and landscape on a walk with a Wave Hill Garden Guide. Hear about the people who once called Wave Hill home, among them Mark Twain, Theodore Roosevelt, Bashford Dean and Arturo Toscanini. Free with admission to the grounds.

MEET AT PERKINS VISITOR CENTER, 1PM

Sat, October 21    Containers, A Call & Response Outdoor Performance by Joiri Minaya

On select Saturdays, Call & Response artists present talks, readings, live music, performance art and workshops in and around Glyndor Gallery. Head to the Monocot Garden to experience artist Joiri Minaya’s outdoor performance. Performers in tropical print body-suits will move through a variety of poses, in response to the site-specific audio narratives emanating from the garments. Complementing the tropical plants and the history of the Monocot Garden, these narratives will focus on human and plant camouflage and hyper-visibility. Free with admission to the grounds.

MONOCOT GARDEN, 2PM

Sun, October 22    Family Art Project: Leaf Crowns and Fairy Houses

Sit with your wee ones and listen to stories of the “people of the mounds,” the supernatural race of fairies or elves found in Celtic mythology, as told by guest storyteller Marianne McShane and her blue harp. Then travel into Wave Hill’s woodland, and, using only natural materials and a bit of jute twine, create your own tiny, fairy-sized dwelling using found sticks, leaves, moss and bark, or string together a series of autumn leaves to form a fall wand or crown—and behold the magic!  At 11AM and at noon, guest musicians Terry McCann, a guitarist and singer, and Stephen Gara on the uilleann pipes (a delicate version of the standard bagpipe), the flute and the tin whistle, offer a short concert of Irish jigs, reels and songs. The pair will also visit Wave Hill’s woodland with their instruments, to serenade the aos sí and lead a short autumn fairy parade. Free with admission to the grounds. Enchanted Wave Hill Weekend event. 

WAVE HILL HOUSE, 10AM‒1PM

Sun, October 22    In The Shop: Spend $50, Earn a Book of Fairy Stickers

This weekend pairs the glorious fall gardens with a family event that is much loved by visitors. Plan on a browse in The Shop―spend $50 and take home your own bit of magic with a book of fairy stickers.Enchanted Wave Hill Weekend event.

PERKINS VISITOR CENTER, 10AM–4PM

Sun, October 22    Garden Highlights Walk

Join a Wave Hill Garden Guide for an hour-long tour of seasonal garden highlights.. Free with admission to the grounds.

MEET AT PERKINS VISITOR CENTER, 2PM

Mon, October 23    

Closed to the public.

Tue, October 24    Garden Highlights Walk

Join a Wave Hill Garden Guide for an hour-long tour of seasonal garden highlights. Free, and admission to the grounds is free until noon.

MEET AT PERKINS VISITOR CENTER, 11AM

Tue, October 24    Gallery Tour

Wave Hill’s Curatorial Fellow leads a tour of the current exhibition in Glyndor Gallery. This fall, the entire gallery is given over to new site-responsive projects honoring the tenth anniversary of Wave Hill’s Sunroom Project Space. Call & Response showcases the work of 50 artists who have exhibited in this unique venue, in projects ranging from art objects created from natural materials gathered onsite, to sound pieces, outdoor installations and performance works. Free with admission to the grounds.

GLYNDOR GALLERY, 2PM

A 28-acre public garden and cultural center overlooking the Hudson River  and Palisades, Wave Hill’s mission is to celebrate the artistry and legacy of its gardens and landscape, to preserve its magnificent views, and to explore human connections to the natural world through programs in horticulture, education and the arts.

HOURS  Open all year, Tuesday through Sunday and many major holidays: 9AM–5:30PM, starting March 15.  Closes 4:30PM, November 1–March 14.

ADMISSION  $8 adults, $4 students and seniors 65+, $2 children 6–18. Free Saturday and Tuesdaymornings until noon. Free to Wave Hill Members and children under 6.

PROGRAM FEES  Programs are free with admission to the grounds unless otherwise noted.

Visitors to Wave Hill can take advantage of Metro-North’s one-day getaway offer. Purchase a discount round-trip rail far and discount admission to the gardens. More at http://mta.info/mnr/html/getaways/outbound_wavehill.htm

DIRECTIONS – Getting here is easy! Located only 30 minutes from midtown Manhattan, Wave Hill’s free shuttle van transports you to and from our front gate and Metro-North’s Riverdale station, as well as the W. 242nd Street stop on the #1 subway line. Limited onsite parking is available for $8 per vehicle. Free offsite parking is available nearby with continuous, complimentary shuttle service to and from the offsite lot and our front gate. Complete directions and shuttle bus schedule at www.wavehill.org/visit/.

Information at 718.549.3200. On the web at www.wavehill.org.

MAYOR DE BLASIO AND FIRST LADY MCCRAY ANNOUNCE NEW COLLABORATION TO SUPPORT COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH NEEDS AND RECOVERY EFFORTS IN PUERTO RICO

NYC Well will collaborate with the national Disaster Distress Helpline to strengthen mental health outreach

 Mayor Bill de Blasio and First Lady Chirlane McCray today announced a collaboration between NYC Well, the City’s free, confidential mental health support helpline, and the Disaster Distress Helpline (DDH), a national crisis counseling and emotional support service funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to more fully support mental health outreach in New York City, as well as Puerto Rico. The collaboration between NYC Well and DDH will strengthen pathways for referral and counseling services to effectively manage the heavily-anticipated volume of calls locally and in Puerto Rico as telephone lines are restored and individuals seek help. This includes connecting natives of Puerto Rico to NYC Well as they arrive in the City, and fielding calls from concerned family members or friends outside of the City to DDH when appropriate.

NYC Well call center staff stands ready to respond to community mental health needs, including services for Puerto Ricans experiencing the trauma of evacuating their home and local volunteers returning to New York City after supporting hurricane relief efforts. As a result, NYC Well will bolster its Spanish-speaking and bilingual call center staff to ensure that counselors are effectively trained and have competence in Psychological First Aid and Disaster Counseling. Both NYC Well and DDH are administered by the Mental Health Association of New York City (MHA-NYC).

"Nearly three weeks after Hurricane Maria, the vast majority of Puerto Rico lacks power and most families are without running water. Whether you're the latest relative to arrive in NYC, or the compassionate volunteer in PR assisting families in need, know that counseling and referral services are available. I thank First Lady McCray for leading this effort, and all of the dedicated mental health staff at NYC Well and the Disaster Distress Helpline for their time, expertise and emotional support during these trying times," said Mayor Bill de Blasio. 

"Our brothers and sisters of Puerto Rico have already endured a great deal in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria. Grappling with sudden loss, takes an unmeasurable toll on a people and can have lasting effects. I am proud that ThriveNYC workers and our NYC Well program will partner with the nation's trusted counseling service, the Disaster Distress Helpline, to provide mental health first aid to the residents of Puerto Rico, the volunteers as well as New Yorkers here in the City," said First Lady Chirlane McCray.

The announcement was made at an event today at the FDNY EMS Station 26 in the Morrisania section of the Bronx as part of the City’s ongoing donation efforts to support individuals affected by Hurricane Maria.

City emergency services personnel that have been deployed to Puerto Rico will provide technical support on the ground to help ensure that electricity is restored on the island and raise awareness about the mental health support that DDH is providing to the Puerto Rican community. As of today, 158 City workers are in Puerto Rico.

"We are all one and it is our duty and privilege to come together to help each other in a time of need," said the Black Eyed Peas. "We are proud to be of service and do anything we can to help our brothers and sisters in Puerto Rico."

It is natural to experience anxiety, anger, fear and countless other emotions after a traumatic event, such as a natural disaster. Here are some coping mechanisms: 

•       Traumatic events can be stressful. Recover at your own pace:

Experiencing a traumatic event can be very overwhelming. Stress caused by the event may affect how one feels, thinks and acts, but the effects should lessen with time. Accept those feelings and give oneself time to recover. Remember, there is no right or wrong way to react because everyone experiences and deals with stress differently. Be patient with oneself and those around you.

•        Know when to seek help:

Reach out to others and ask for help and support if you feel stuck or overwhelmed. Speak with someone you trust. You may find that others are having a similar experience and you can begin to explore how best to support each other.

•        Offer support and comfort to children:

Although parents may have their concerns, it important to help children remain calm. This will reassure them and help them feel safe. Children may present as confused, afraid, and they may have many questions. Don’t ignore their worries. Answer their questions and explain the facts in a way that they can understand. Let them express their feelings, and reassure them that it is okay to have such feelings. Spend extra time with them and limit their exposure to distressing conversations. If at all possible, try to get back to a familiar routine or start anew given the situation.

Also on hand were State Senator Gustavo Rivera and Councilwoman Vanessa Gibson, and many members of the local community who came out to see what was going on.

Above - Mayor de Blasio is introduced by one of the Black Eyed Peas.

Below - After the event Mayor de Blasio shook hands with community members, and even posed for a photo with these children.

About the City’s Hurricane Maria Relief Efforts

The City is collecting monetary donations through the Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City. These funds will be distributed to organizations working to support the 3.5 million Puerto Ricans and other Caribbean residents who have been impacted by this storm. City workers now have the option to make a donation directly from their paychecks to Hurricane Maria relief efforts. 

The City is also collecting donations of critically needed items through October 31 at 24 firehouses and EMS stations, and every NYPD precinct, transit agency and police service areaacross the five boroughs. Only donations of batteries, diapers, feminine hygiene products, first aid supplies and baby food will be accepted at these drop-off sites. Donations will be accepted during the hours of 7 AM through 9 PM. 

As of October 5, 265 pallets of donated items have been collected and are being packaged for shipment at the New York City Emergency Management warehouse in Brooklyn. Items collected include approximately 12,800 cases of diapers; 23,800 cases of feminine hygiene products; 1,200 first aid kits; 3,600 cases of baby food and 8,800 packs of batteries. Thousands of these items have already arrived in Puerto Rico.

About NYC Well

New Yorkers seeking support or treatment for mental health or substance use issues for themselves or their loved ones can contact NYC Well by calling 1-888-NYC-WELL, texting “WELL” to 65173 or going to nyc.gov/nycwell. Free, confidential support is available at any hour of the day in over 200 languages.

About the Disaster Distress Helpline

Individuals can call 1-800-985-5990 or text TalkWithUs to 66746 to connect with a trained crisis counselor. DDH provides 24/7, year-round, confidential crisis counseling to people experiencing emotional distress related to natural or human-caused disasters in the U.S. and its territories. Helpline staff members provide psychological first aid, supportive counseling, information on common stress reactions and healthy coping, and referrals to local disaster-related resources for follow-up care and support. DDH also offers online tools, including a freeDisaster Behavioral Health Response Mobile App.

Comptroller Stringer, NYC Pension Funds Announce $450 Million Investment in Affordable Housing

NYC’s Pension Funds launch first-of-its-kind initiative that commits millions of dollars to support affordable housing for veterans

Comptroller’s Office and NYC Pension Funds reach new milestone of 100,000+ affordable units created and preserved through funded mortgages

  Comptroller Scott M. Stringer and the New York City Pension Funds today announced a major new investment of $450 million to purchase and support non-predatory mortgages for everyday New Yorkers and support affordable housing across the five boroughs. In addition to stocks and bonds, Comptroller Stringer and the Pension Funds also invest in funds that finance affordable single-family homes as well as larger, multi-unit buildings in New York City. The investment of $450 million in pension funds will support and create tens of thousands of affordable homes and units citywide. The new investment includes a first-of-its-kind infusion of millions of dollars specifically to support veteran in New York City. Since the Comptroller’s Economically Targeted Investment program began, the Pension Funds have created or preserved over 100,000 affordable units citywide.

The $450 million will be invested through a separately managed account with RBC Global Asset Management’s Access Capital Community Investment Strategy, which invests in non-predatory, agency-backed mortgages from both private and government affordable housing programs, such as those run by a wide variety of federal, state, and city housing and economic development agencies. It includes a renewal of $300 million that had previously been invested and the addition of $150 million in new funds. The initial agreement is for three years, with the option of two three-year extensions.

By purchasing and owning these tens of thousands of mortgages, the Pension Funds are making stable long-term investments while supplying the capital needed to make more affordable housing loans. This enables and encourages public and private lenders to issue more affordable housing mortgages and promotes lower interest rates that are more favorable to consumers.

Further, the Comptroller’s Office, in partnership with RBC GAM Access Capital, has created a first-of-its-kind program to support affordable housing for veterans in New York City. Each year at least $5 million will finance mortgages guaranteed by the Department of Veterans Affairs to veterans and their families living in New York City, with the goal of 10 percent of all capital invested through RBC GAM Access Capital going to these mortgages.

“We have to work together to make New York City more affordable – and we’re taking action in innovative ways through the Pension Funds. We’re demonstrating that you can simultaneously protect the retirements of hardworking New Yorkers while mitigating one of our city’s long-term challenges. This is undoubtedly a great thing,” New York City Comptroller Scott M. Stringer said. “We’re proud to have helped create and preserve over 100,000 affordable units citywide, and even more thrilled to launch a new effort to support our veterans. Through this initiative, we’re helping everyday families, adding long-term affordable housing, and strengthening our pension funds. This is going to have positive outcomes for many, many New Yorkers.”

The Comptroller’s Office expects investing in mortgages for veterans will encourage more banks to issue VA-backed mortgages, making it easier for veterans to obtain stable housing at better rates. Approximately 210,000 veterans live in New York City.

Since 2007, investments from the pension funds in the separately managed account with RBC GAM Access Capital have totaled $397 million — resulting in 1,887 affordable single-family homes in New York City — as well as $170 million invested in multi-family buildings that delivered 33,390 affordable units across the five boroughs. Historically, the separately managed account has made nearly half of single family home investments with New York City families making less than 80% of Area Median Income (AMI)— currently $77,000 a year for a family of four— and half with moderate and middle income families.

The investment in RBC GAM Access Capital is part of the Comptroller’s Office’s Economically Targeted Investments program, which seeks investments that deliver strong returns while also creating secondary benefits, such as affordable housing and good paying jobs. The Economically Targeted Investment program was launched in 1984, and currently the City Pension Funds have invested nearly $2.5 billion with an additional $500 million in future commitments. These investments have financed 105,000 units of affordable housing.

For information on the New York City Pension Funds’ Economically Targeted Investment program, click here.

“Solving the affordable housing crisis requires innovative solutions and strong partnerships, and I commend the Comptroller for extending this important lifeline to our city’s veterans,” said New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) Commissioner Maria Torres-Springer. “Creating more opportunities for affordable homeownership, especially for those individuals who have sacrificed for our country, is a critical component of the Mayor’s housing plan.  We look forward to our continued collaboration as we work to improve access to homeownership across the five boroughs.”

Comptroller Stringer serves as the investment advisor to, and custodian and a trustee of, the New York City Pension Funds. The New York City Pension Funds are composed of the New York City Employees’ Retirement System, Teachers’ Retirement System, New York City Police Pension Fund, New York City Fire Department Pension Fund and the Board of Education Retirement System.

In addition to Comptroller Stringer, the New York City Pension Funds’ trustees are:

New York City Employees’ Retirement System: Mayor Bill de Blasio’s Representative, John Adler (Chair); New York City Public Advocate Letitia James; Borough Presidents: Gale Brewer (Manhattan), Melinda Katz (Queens), Eric Adams (Brooklyn), James Oddo (Staten Island), and Ruben Diaz, Jr. (Bronx); Henry Garrido , Executive Director, District Council 37, AFSCME; Tony Utano, President Transport Workers Union Local 100; Gregory Floyd, President, International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Local 237.

Teachers’ Retirement System: Mayor Bill de Blasio’s Appointee, John Adler (Chair); Raymond Orlando, representing the Chairperson of the Panel for Educational Policy and Debra Penny, Thomas Brown and David Kazansky, all of the United Federation of Teachers.

New York City Police Pension Fund: Mayor Bill de Blasio’s Representative, John Adler; New York City Finance Commissioner Jacques Jiha; New York City Police Commissioner James P. O’Neill (Chair); Patrick Lynch, Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association; Michael Palladino, Detectives Endowment Association; Edward D. Mullins, Sergeants Benevolent Association; Louis Turco, Lieutenants Benevolent Association; and, Roy T. Richter, Captains Endowment Association.

New York City Fire Department Pension Fund: Mayor Bill de Blasio’s Representative, John Adler; New York City Fire Commissioner Daniel A. Nigro (Chair); New York City Finance Commissioner Jacques Jiha;  Gerard Fitzgerald, President, LeRoy McGinnis, Vice President, Edward Brown, Treasurer, and John Kelly, Brooklyn Representative and Chair, Uniformed Firefighters Association of Greater New York; John Farina, Captains’ Rep.; Paul Mannix, Chiefs’ Rep., and Jack Kielty, Lieutenants’ Rep., Uniformed Fire Officers Association; and, Thomas Phelan, Marine Engineers Association.

Board of Education Retirement System:  Schools Chancellor Carmen Fariña; Mayoral: Isaac Carmignani, T. Elzora Cleveland, Vanessa Leung, Gary Linnen, Lori Podvesker, Stephanie Soto, Benjamin Shuldiner, Miguelina Zorrilla-Aristy; Michael Kraft (Manhattan BP), Deborah Dillingham (Queens BP), Geneal Chacon (Bronx BP), April Chapman (Brooklyn BP), and Peter Calandrella (Staten Island BP); and employee members John Maderich of the IUOE Local 891 and Donald Nesbit of District Council 37, Local 372.

Comptroller Stringer: Subway Delays Hit City Economy, Cost Workers and Business Nearly $400 Million Each Year 

  As subway delays continue to frustrate New Yorkers and disrupt commutes, Comptroller Stringer today released a first-of-its-kind economic analysis that shows New York City’s economy takes a direct hit from subway delays, which cost workers and businesses in the hundreds of millions annually. According to the analysis, the annual economic cost of stalled trains could reach nearly $400 million dollars under worst-case scenarios, with delays on the 5, A, 7, F, and 4 subway trains being the most costly, topping out at a whopping $140 million a year combined. The new economic analysis follows a survey of straphangers conducted by the Comptroller’s Office that highlights the human impact of subway delays, which showed that 74% of respondents reported being late to a work meeting due to subway delays, while 65% reported being late to pick up or drop off a child and 13% reported losing wages.

The analysis explores three different scenarios that provide a range of costs. Using data on ridership, delays, and wait times for trains from the MTA and average hourly wage data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the analysis examines how delays impact New York City’s economy. The analysis estimates that — depending on the length of delays and the assumptions made — the annual economic impact to New York City could range from $170.2 million up to $389 million dollars.

“Several months ago, we did a comprehensive citywide survey to understand the human impacts of subway delays. Now, we understand the economic costs of the crisis underground. What these new numbers show is that the cost of inaction is greater than the cost of action; that subway delays take a massive toll on our economy. We need to fix our subways both to improve quality of life and our economy. This isn’t a choice – it’s a must,” Comptroller Scott M. Stringer said. “There is no question our subways are in crisis after decades of underinvestment and inaction. With the ‘Summer of Hell’ fading into what could be a ‘Fall of Frustration,’ every level of government needs to step up. Our subway system is the backbone to our economy. That means with every delay, there aren’t just lives affected – there’s an economic consequence.”

Systemwide “Major” Delay average	Economic Cost
5 minutes	$170.2 million
10 minutes	$243.1 million
20 minutes	$389.0 million

By MTA definitions, a train is considered to have a “minor” delay if it arrives 25% to 50% behind schedule, a “medium” delay if it arrives 50% to 100% behind schedule, and a “major” delay if it is more than 100% behind schedule. The Comptroller’s analysis uses the midpoint of the range of wait time delays for minor and medium delays (37.5% and 75% behind schedule, respectively, or on average roughly 2 and 4 minutes), and three different scenarios for major delays equal to 100%, 200%, and 400% behind schedule — or on average 5, 10, and 20 minutes — and yields a low-end estimate of $170.2 million per year and a high end of $389 million.

The Comptroller’s Office also released a line-by-line economic analysis to help New Yorkers understand which lines may end up costing our economy the most activity.

According to the data, the five subway lines that most negatively impacted economic activity include:

• The 5 train, with estimated impacts ranging from $12.1 million to $31.5 million annually;
• The 7 train, with estimated impacts ranging from $13.7 million to $29 million annually;
• The A train, with estimated impacts ranging from $11.1 million to $28.5 million annually;
• The F train, with estimated impacts ranging from $11.3 million to $28 million annually;
• The 4 train, with estimated impacts ranging from $10.5 million to $26.6 million annually.

Together, the worst-case economic impact of delays on these five lines tops $140 million.

In July 2017, Comptroller Stringer released the results of a survey that highlighted the human impacts of subway delays. According to the survey:

• 74% of respondents reported being late to a work meeting due to subway delays;
• 65% reported being late to pick up or drop off a child due to subway delays;
• 29% said they had been late to a doctor’s appointment due to subway delays;
• 13% reported losing wages due to subway delays; and
• 2% said they had been fired from a job due to subway delays.