MTA’s New ‘Lean’ Bench in W. 4th St. Subway Station Raises Hackles from Riders
The MTA replaced a wooden bench in the station with one of the new modern “lean” benches, which are sloped, making it impossible for homeless to sleep on. But neighbors say it also makes it impossible for subway riders to sit.
| 17 Mar 2025 | 03:34
A new-style bench was installed at the West 4th Street. subway station to discourage homeless people from sleeping on benches. But the new benches also launched an avalanche of complaints on the Next Door neighborhood website, although a few posters saw their value. (
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The MTA replaced a wooden subway bench that has stood in the West 4th Street station in Greenwich Village for years, with a new slim “lean”-style subway bench that is sloped at a 45-degree angle, apparently to keep the homeless from sleeping on it.
Some people said they recognize the need for the new-style bench to discourage vagrants. “I use that station twice a day every day,” said a person identified as Marcie Co. on the Next Door app. “Never ever saw a senior or disabled person sit there because it is always taken by homeless people.”
But more neighborhood residents are up in arms because they say the benches are uncomfortable and impossible to sit on at the heavily used station where the A, B, C, D, F, and M lines all stop.
“They ripped out a perfectly good bench at West 4th that had been there for decades and replaced it with this,” posted Neil Thayer on the popular NextDoor.com blog with a photo of the new bench that ignited the ongoing online debate. “I’m sure the elderly and disabled appreciate it,” he wrote. “Shame on you MTA, NYC Transit.”
Justin DiGiulio responded: “Rather than dealing with the homeless, mentally ill and drug-addicted who just [use] the benches as their beds or bathrooms, the city had decided to eliminate proper seats.” He added, “A solution allowing things to continue to slide in the wrong direction.”
Chelsea resident Cynthia Strite, upon seeing the photo, simply asked: “What the hell is that?”
That elicited the response from Jackie Godleski: “You can lean on it. Worthless.”
”Hostile architecture,” added CB Butler from Murray Hill.
Janet Mayer, a poster from Greenwich Village, added, “Tax dollars in action, about as useful as the new subway ‘fare beater’ barriers.”
Angle Quinlan counters, “I’d rather have that than trying to wake up a homeless person.”
”The point is now nobody will be able to SLEEP ON IT and everyone will be able to use it,” said Nick Montanaro, who actually hails from Weehawken. “Just stop it already. Stop pretending you don’t realize that homeless people are the reason for all this madness.“
Lisa Bowstead has taken seating matters into her own hands. “I’ve taken to carrying a camp stool.”
MTA spokesman Tim Minton said it is not the first station to have a lean-to bench installed and won’t be the last. “It’s deja vu all over again,” he says of the latest kick up on West 4th Street.
”Every survey we take says riders want less homeless and mentally ill people in the subway,” said Minton. “The station is for people who are traveling. This is one small step that allows someone to rest and discourages people who are not going into a station to travel.” He added that with so many lines converging at the station on two levels, riders generally don’t wait more than a minute or two for a train at any time. And he said the kick-up after a new bench is installed “usually dies down after a couple of weeks.”