For more than a century, nearly every New York City subway train has had at least a two-person crew: an operator, who drives the train, and a conductor, who controls the doors and makes announcements.
Supporters of the practice say that a second pair of eyes on the train helps keep passengers safe. But many transit advocates argue that the custom is unnecessary, costly and impedes faster service.
Gov. Kathy Hochul must decide by the end of the year whether to sign a law that would extend the two-person requirement indefinitely, at a time when most of the world’s major train lines have already moved to one-person operation, or even full automation, according to a new study.
In a review of more than 400 train lines in over a dozen countries, just 6 percent of the routes still required two-person crews, according to a report released Thursday by New York University’s Marron Institute of Urban Management, a civic think tank.
The analysis studied train lines in Europe, Asia and North America, including systems that surpass New York City’s subway in size and ridership, said Eric Goldwyn, a program director at the Marron Institute and co-author of the report.
“We don’t want to lock in old technology, old practices and more expensive operating costs,” Mr. Goldwyn said. The issue came to a head in July, when a bill that would require a conductor on practically all subway trains passed in the New York State legislature. A version of the bill, which effectively bans one-person train operation, has been pushed by transit labor leaders for decades.
Ms. Hochul, whose office controls the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the state agency that runs the subway, must either approve, veto, or amend the bill by the end of the year. Sean Butler, a spokesman for the governor, said only that “she will review the legislation.”
Ms. Hochul is up for re-election next year, and union support, including from transit labor leaders, is likely to be an important consideration.
The M.T.A. declined to comment.
John Samuelsen, the international president of the Transport Workers Union, which represents subway conductors, said two-person crews are a deterrent to crime and a necessity when trains need to be evacuated.
“It doesn’t really matter to us what the data shows,” Mr. Samuelsen said about the report, adding that the presence of a conductor makes trips “visibly safer.”
Supporters of one-person train operation argue that reducing the number of crew members would free up money for more frequent service on several routes. But Mr. Samuelsen said he was skeptical of that claim, because there is no guarantee that any savings would be reinvested in service.
There are roughly 3,600 subway train conductors, who are paid an average of $38 an hour, according to M.T.A. data.
Joseph Addabbo Jr., a state senator who cosponsored the bill, said that concerns about requiring a conductor on trains are outweighed by the safety and customer service benefits when a second crew member is on board.
“Physical presence helps,” he said.
Still, the M.T.A. spends more on labor than nearly any other expense — about two-thirds of its annual operating budget of roughly $20 billion — at a time when the agency could soon face a fiscal gap, according to the Citizens Budget Commission, a watchdog group.
Andrew Rein, the president of the group, said the M.T.A. could face an $800 million cash shortfall starting in 2030. If the transit authority transitioned to one-person train operation, it could save over $440 million a year, as more conductors retire or shift to different jobs. Those savings could help plug the budget hole, or pay for more frequent train service on upgraded lines, he said.
A small number of shuttle trains and shorter lines already operate without a conductor, at least part of the time. The bill, as written, would force the M.T.A. to hire a second crew member for those trains, which could cost about an extra $10 million a year, Mr. Rein said.
The M.T.A. has already invested heavily in a new signal system, called communications-based train control, or C.B.T.C., which is designed to control trains remotely and allow more frequent service. In April, the state approved $5.4 billion to be spent on the system, and billions more are expected to be raised through congestion pricing toll revenue. The 7 and L trains have already completed the upgrades.
But if the bill is passed, the M.T.A. would be prohibited from shifting to one-person operation on those and other trains, said Rachael Fauss, senior policy adviser at Reinvent Albany, a good governance group.
“It’s kind of flushing the benefits of C.B.T.C. down the toilet,” she said.
The bill could also affect plans for future train lines, like the Interborough Express, or IBX, a proposed light-rail service that would run between Brooklyn and Queens.
Blair Lorenzo, the executive director of the Effective Transit Alliance, an advocacy group, said the IBX could be fully automated, similar to the driverless AirTrain that connects public transit hubs to John F. Kennedy International Airport. Such a move could allow the train to run more frequently, she said.
“The less time you spend waiting for a train,” she said, “the happier people are.”
Stefanos Chen is a Times reporter covering New York City’s transit system.
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