WASHINGTON HEIGHTS, Manhattan — It’s a walk through a 900-foot long tunnel to get to the turnstiles for the No. 1 train from Broadway at 191st Street.
And riders said there’s another obstacle they have to face before catching a train: they have had to pass through piles of trash including drug needles.
The Uptown Collective documents stories and posted about the problems on Instagram.
Led Black has lived in the area his entire life.
“It was neglected, but lately it has been much worse,” he said.
His post got the attention of the New York City Councilmember Carmen de la Rosa.
“Our community deserves safe locations and subway stations. When we see garbage and needles, that doesn’t show we are healing as a community,” she said.
She organized specialized sanitation crews to clean up the tunnel. She has scheduled a follow up with agencies in the next month, including social service providers.
The tunnel that leads to the turnstiles is city property and managed by the NYC Department of Transportation.
They also want to address root causes in the area. They said there has been an increase in opioid and heroin concerns.
