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Janae Pierre: The state of public bathrooms in New York City, and the MTA is phasing out MetroCards, leaving some elderly New Yorkers in limbo. From WNYC, this is NYC Now. I'm Janae Pierre. Some New York City artists say they're steering away from work that centers on race, immigration, or gender identity in response to recent rollbacks from the Trump administration on arts funding. Lisa Gold is the executive director of the Asian American Arts Alliance. She said some artists have asked her organization to remove their bios from its website, fearing harassment.

Lisa Gold: There are concerns about telling stories or identifying yourself or putting yourself out there. Like we've had people who don't feel comfortable saying that they are immigrants.

Janae Pierre: Those concerns come after hundreds of arts organizations had their funding pulled by the National Endowment for the Arts. That's the country's largest public arts funder. The federal agency removed funding from hundreds of arts orgs nationwide.

The Port Authority says nearly 15 million people are expected to travel through its airports and crossings during the holidays. They say that's up 1% from last year's record. The number includes nearly 6 million people flying through JFK, LaGuardia, and Newark Liberty. The Port Authority is urging travelers to plan ahead and allow extra time. Road work will pause at all bridges and tunnels beginning Tuesday, but traffic is still expected to be heavy. PATH trains will run modified schedules on Christmas and New Year's Day. At JFK, construction detours are causing major changes to pickup and drop-off zones.

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Janae Pierre: Multiple Westchester County police officers won't face charges after a video showed them beating and tasing a Peekskill man during an arrest earlier this month. WNYC's Veronica Del Valle has more.

Veronica Del Valle: The County District Attorney's Office says there isn't enough evidence to bring criminal charges against the officers who arrested Damar Fields. Video of the arrests circulated on social media, sparking outcry over Fields's treatment. The DA's office last week announced they will, however, pursue charges against Fields. Those include possession of a controlled substance and public lewdness. The DA says she's referring the matter back to Peekskill Police for internal investigation and recommending more training for the department on dealing with mentally ill individuals. A spokesperson for the Fields family has said his behavior is a mental health issue, not a criminal one.

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Janae Pierre: The public bathroom situation here in New York City stinks. There's a noted lack of options for a city of this size, and the public restrooms that the city does have are regularly closed, dirty, or lacking basic amenities. A recent City Council investigation called Good to Go looked at nearly 200 bathroom facilities around the five boroughs.

Shekar Krishnan: We saw a stunning lack of diaper changing stations, menstrual products. We saw unsanitary bathrooms, places that didn't have basic necessities for the bathrooms.

Janae Pierre: That's New York City Councilmember Shekar Krishnan, who leads the Council's Committee on Parks and Recreation. He says when park bathrooms fall apart, it's a warning sign for the whole city.

Shekar Krishnan: If we want a clean city, then we have to have clean parks. If we want clean parks, we have to have clean bathrooms.

Janae Pierre: Councilmember Krishnan says that over the last four years, the Adams administration has slashed the Parks Department and cut worker jobs that the City Council had to fight to get restored.

Shekar Krishnan: We have dealt with the mayor who has, on the one hand, as with many things, professed to care about these issues, and on the other hand, utterly failed to invest in our Parks Department. It's just that simple.

Janae Pierre: To meaningfully improve bathroom facilities, he says a significant investment in the department is needed.

Shekar Krishnan: We lack the amount of funding that every other major city in America has when it comes to parks and green space. We have to change that reality, and in doing so, we can start by funding better bathrooms and better facilities in our parks.

Janae Pierre: That's New York City Councilmember Shekar Krishnan.

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Janae Pierre: Up Next, with the MTA set to phase out MetroCards in favor of the OMNY tap and go system in the new year, many elderly New Yorkers are voicing concern over how the transition will affect them. That's after the break.

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Janae Pierre: The MTA will stop selling MetroCards at the end of the year, and the tap and pay OMNY system is how riders will pay for transit. WNYC's Stephen Nessen reports many elderly New Yorkers who rely on discount fare cards are still struggling with the transition.

Pat Schissel: Oh, is that what it is?

Male Speaker 1: That's exactly what [crosstalk]

Pat Schissel: Do you want to check mine?

Stephen Nessen: On a frigid day on the Upper East Side, temperatures are in the 20s. 87-year-old Pat Schissel and her 97-year-old husband Chick are braving the cold to wait in line to swap money from their old half-price MetroCards to brand new OMNY cards.

Pat Schissel: I really don't know if there is money on here or not, so if there is and we're able to switch it over, I'll feel great.

Stephen Nessen: Each day this month, the MTA has deployed vans across the city to help the MetroCard's final holdouts make the switch.

Male Speaker 2: From now on, you must use this credit card if you want to pay half price, $1.45.

Stephen Nessen: It's also a chance for many elderly New Yorkers who struggle with digital technology to learn about the new system. After 30 minutes, the Schissels, well frozen by now, make it to the front of the line only to find they couldn't be helped.

Pat Schissel: They told me that I need to go to one of the customer service places, which is hard for us.

Stephen Nessen: Others find OMNY has fewer features than the MetroCard.

Thomas LeClair: I don't like that you don't know the balance when you swipe.

Stephen Nessen: That's 65-year-old Thomas LeClair, who lives in upper Manhattan.

Thomas LeClair: They need to fix that.

Stephen Nessen: 69-year-old Donna Evans from Windsor Terrace says, "OMNY's fare capping policy is hard to figure out. That's where riders get free rides for the rest of the week if they pay for 12 trips in a 7-day period.

Donna Evans: They seem to change the goalposts, at least in my experience. One week it seems to be Wednesday through Thursday. The next week it's Sunday through Saturday. Stephen Nessen: Several seniors interviewed say they'll miss something basic about the MetroCard. 79-year-old Upper East Side resident Jane Harrison flashes her half-price MetroCard, which bears her smiling portrait. The new senior OMNY cards do not have the faces on the back, just the name.

Jane Harisson: It's pretty. The OMNY isn't pretty.

Stephen Nessen: Her husband JB doesn't like it either.

JB: I do miss the fact that my picture's not on it because I think someone could steal it and use it if I had lots of money on it.

Stephen Nessen: The MTA hopes the flexibility of using any contactless payment with OMNY will make it easier for riders. Many older New Yorkers have transitioned from token to the MetroCard. Now they have until New Year's Eve to get on board with OMNY.

Male Speaker 3: Good to go.

Pat Schissel: Thank you so much for your help.

Male Speaker 3: You're welcome. Happy Hanukkah.

Pat Schissel: Okay. Thank you.

Male Speaker 3: You're welcome.

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Janae Pierre: All right, before we go, while New Yorkers may have seen a dusting of snow on the way to work or school Tuesday morning, meteorologists say the chance of a white Christmas this year is looking slim. Skies will dry out for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with temperatures in the 40s. The next chance of accumulating snow could be as soon as Friday or Saturday, though forecasters say it's still too early to tell how much that could be.

Anyway, thanks for listening to NYC Now from WNYC. I'm Janae Pierre. We'll be back tomorrow.

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