Mayor Mamdani has taken a hit for the city's mishandling of its warming bus program, designed to help homeless people cope with the frigid temperatures that have claimed 17 lives so far this winter. The Mayor acknowledged that he bears responsibility for the communication breakdown that left many unaware of the available warmth and forced them to navigate the system on their own.
When asked about his role in it all, Mamdani made it clear that no one else gets off scot-free: "It's never a moment to pass the buck to anyone else." Despite this acknowledgment, there were still lapses at the Staten Island Ferry Terminal, where multiple officials – including police officers and transportation employees – were unaware of the warming buses available outside.
The city has rolled out 20 warming buses across the five boroughs, but their whereabouts remain largely unknown due to a lack of signage. As Mayor Mamdani promised, efforts are underway to rectify this situation by adding clear and additional signage at locations where the buses will be deployed.
However, experts say that more needs to be done to ensure that those in need know about these resources. Norman Siegel, a civil rights attorney leading the Street Homeless Advocacy Project, welcomed Mamdani's statement as a sign of progress: "I'm pleased the mayor recognizes that some mistakes were made and that he’s going to correct them."
Siegel pointed out that during last week's outreach efforts at the ferry terminal, his group managed to persuade several employees about the warming buses and even convinced six people to take shelter in one of the available spots. However, officials continued to force people to leave after a few hours, highlighting the need for more effective communication.
As Siegel noted wryly, "sometimes the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing," a phrase that encapsulates the communication breakdown at the ferry terminal. His team plans to return on Thursday night to continue their efforts and advocate for better support for the city's most vulnerable residents.
When asked about his role in it all, Mamdani made it clear that no one else gets off scot-free: "It's never a moment to pass the buck to anyone else." Despite this acknowledgment, there were still lapses at the Staten Island Ferry Terminal, where multiple officials – including police officers and transportation employees – were unaware of the warming buses available outside.
The city has rolled out 20 warming buses across the five boroughs, but their whereabouts remain largely unknown due to a lack of signage. As Mayor Mamdani promised, efforts are underway to rectify this situation by adding clear and additional signage at locations where the buses will be deployed.
However, experts say that more needs to be done to ensure that those in need know about these resources. Norman Siegel, a civil rights attorney leading the Street Homeless Advocacy Project, welcomed Mamdani's statement as a sign of progress: "I'm pleased the mayor recognizes that some mistakes were made and that he’s going to correct them."
Siegel pointed out that during last week's outreach efforts at the ferry terminal, his group managed to persuade several employees about the warming buses and even convinced six people to take shelter in one of the available spots. However, officials continued to force people to leave after a few hours, highlighting the need for more effective communication.
As Siegel noted wryly, "sometimes the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing," a phrase that encapsulates the communication breakdown at the ferry terminal. His team plans to return on Thursday night to continue their efforts and advocate for better support for the city's most vulnerable residents.
. The mayor took responsibility, but it's like, if people in charge don't know what's going on, how can we expect those who need help to know too? 
They introduced 20 warming buses, but they're just chillin' outside without any signs, you feel me? It's like hiding a lifesaver in plain sight. Need more effort to get the word out there 
. But seriously, experts like Norman Siegel are on point, saying we need better communication, and I'm like, "Yeah, no kidding!" 
Sometimes when you're trying to help people, things just go wrong 
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. So, let's hope the city steps up their game and gets those signs out ASAP 
. The city's got some good work going on with those 20 buses, but signage needs to be way better IMHO 
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... i don't get why we need warming buses in the first place tho like, can't they just go somewhere else if it's cold? btw have you tried those new iced coffee drinks at starbucks? they're kinda good 
, clear signage is just the start, they should also prioritize outreach efforts that actually engage with the community, not just some token visits 
. It's crazy that even officials, like police officers and transportation employees, were clueless about where to find these buses 
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. I'm glad Mayor Mamdani is taking responsibility, but I don't think we should be too hard on him - he's already owning up to the mistakes and promising to fix them 
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. What's really needed is some actual transparency and communication from our leaders. Like, where are these buses exactly? How do we know they're even coming? It feels like they're just slapping a Band-Aid on the problem without addressing the root issues.
. They seem to be more focused on 'persuading' people to take shelter, rather than making sure they have access to these resources in the first place. It's like, hello? Some people might not know about the warming buses just because they're not getting enough info from the city 
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. Maybe then we can start seeing some real progress and changes 
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