At the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s (MTA) Monthly Board meeting Wednesday, the First since the last Fatal Subway Pushing earlier this month, Members of the Public voiced concerns about Safety during the Covid-19 Pandemic.
Since the Jan. 15 Killing of Michelle Go, Advocates and Officials have discussed adding Subway Platform Barriers, and introducing Mental Health Professionals into the Subways. The MTA has Wavered on the Viability of Platform Barriers.
“We’re going to be rolling up our sleeves on operational issues,” MTA Chief Executive Janno Lieber said. “We want to share data, identify the stations that have trouble spots, to adjust deployments, to improve communication between the teams—communication between the police, our operational professionals and what we hope and expect will be large numbers of mental health workers.”
Lieber mentioned Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) and Mayor Eric Adams’ (D) News Conference this month, in which they announced the Deployment of more Police Officers in the Subway system. The addition of Police has been the subject of much Debate, with many Riders saying an increased Presence doesn’t make them feel Safer.
The Governor’s Safe Options Support program is expected to introduce Mental Health workers into the Subway system, investing $11 million in the initiative Statewide in fiscal year 2023.
“There’s a lot of money that’s been spent on mental health in this city, and will continue to be spent on mental health and homelessness,” Lieber said. Lieber said the MTA has been “seriously engaging” on Platform Doors, but he cited Obstacles including Americans With Disabilities Act, conforming Accessibility, and the wide variety of Cars within the Subway Fleet.
Asked at a News Conference if Platform Doors are Realistic, Lieber said Only about 45 of New York’s 472 Stations could be Equipped with the Barriers.
Addressing Safety concerns, the MTA’s Chief Customer Officer, Sarah Meyer, said the Agency has “installed thousands of cameras in our system and provided thousands of clips to investigators.”
In addition to Subway Safety, some Members of the Public criticized Access-a-Ride, the City’s Paratransit service, for its Shared-Rides Policy. The Program serves eligible New Yorkers including Senior Citizens and People with Disabilities. The ongoing Pandemic has left some Immunocompromised Riders fearing for their Lives, they said.
“I cannot be safe if somebody’s not vaccinated and you don’t care,” One Member of the Public said. “You have to worry about this population of people. We use this system. It’s vital, it’s important, it’s a necessity to our well-being.”
Other Speakers emphasized that the MTA needs to Ramp-Up Construction of Elevators to serve New Yorkers with Disabilities.
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