Cuomo Declares a State of Emergency for NYC Subways: Update 7/26 - MTA submits 2 phase $9bil plan
- Thread starter tru_m.a.c
- Start date
ADevilYouKhow
Rhyme Reason
MTA union official and conductor brawl in Bronx subway station: NYPD
Tramell Thompson, the outspoken leader of a dissident group in TWU Local 100, and union VP Canella Gomez were both charged with assault.
gothamist.com
these 2 idiots! wtf man! MTA gonna use this to give us a shytty contractMTA union official and conductor brawl in Bronx subway station: NYPD
Tramell Thompson, the outspoken leader of a dissident group in TWU Local 100, and union VP Canella Gomez were both charged with assault.
MTA urges social media companies to remove subway surfer videos after teen’s death
Subway surfer videos have exploded in popularity – and so have incidents involving people riding outside the trains, MTA Chairman Janno Lieber said, one day after the death of a 15-year-old atop the J train.
gothamist.com
By
Stephen Nessen
Published Feb 21, 2023
Modified Feb 22, 2023 at 9:54 a.m.
MTA urges social media companies to remove subway surfer videos after teen’s death
Scott Heins/Getty Images
The MTA will implore social media companies to take down videos of subway surfers, Chairman Janno Lieber said Tuesday, one day after a teen died riding atop a J train crossing the Williamsburg Bridge.
Lieber said an MTA analysis found that videos of young people riding atop the subways surged by 160% between 2019 and 2022. The agency urged TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram to take down the videos last summer, Lieber said.
Monday's death of Zackery Nazario, 15, has prompted the MTA to contact the companies again.
“We’ve made approaches to the social media companies and we’re going to renew it again. This is something nobody wants to see – a 15-year-old kid. It just breaks your heart,” Lieber said at an MTA board meeting on Tuesday. “Social media companies, it’s not news to anybody, you’re not always focused on discouraging reckless behavior.”
Nazario, of the Lower East Side, was on top of the train on Monday evening when his head struck a beam and he tumbled onto the tracks, according to the NYPD.
A GoFundMe page for Nazario hopes to raise money for funeral costs.
Screenshot via GoFundMe
In December, another 15-year-old subway surfer died after falling from a train as it crossed the Williamsburg Bridge and making contact with the third rail.
MTA stats show the trend is gaining popularity. In all of 2019, the MTA documented 490 incidents of people riding outside of trains. In 2022, there were 928 incidents.
Mayor Eric Adams said at an unrelated event that he planned to launch an awareness campaign about the dangers of subway surfing.
“I think the national government must come in and say, ‘what is the corporate responsibility of social media?’” he said. “I'm just surprised this hasn't been done.”
On Tuesday afternoon, Gothamist quickly found a video of subway surfers on the Instagram account of rapper Talib Kweli, who has more than 1 million followers.
Speaking with Gothamist on Tuesday, Zackery Nazario's mother Norma Nazario said social media websites need to take down videos of subway surfers and the MTA needs to do more to restrict access to the roofs of subway cars.
"My son was just a great kid and it's unfortunate that he's gone," she said. "We'll miss him. I just want to tell the MTA that they need to do something about it. I don't wish other mothers to go through the same."
Norma Nazario said the behavior was out of character for her son, and feared videos on Instagram may have influenced him.
"[He was] an old soul, just very mature for his age," she said, adding she knew he was interested in the history of trains, but never imagined he would do something so dangerous.
The MTA didn’t respond to questions about the response it received from the social media companies. A spokesperson for TikTok could not find any subway surfing videos live on the network. Emails to the other companies were not returned.
“We cannot stress enough how dangerous it is to ride on the outside of trains,” New York City Transit President Richard Davey wrote in a statement. “Our hearts go out to loved ones at yet another tragic time. We implore other families to speak with their children on the real dangers of what can seem like a thrill but is too often deadly.”
The NYPD recently increased patrols on the 7 and J lines. Both lines have long stretches along elevated tracks and are popular among subway surfers.
Catalina Gonella and Elizabeth Kim contributed reporting
This story has been updated to correct the total number of MTA incidents involving people riding outside of trains in 2022.
ADevilYouKhow
Rhyme Reason
MTA chief Janno Lieber admits LIRR needs staffing, contract change after Post probe
MTA chairman Janno Lieber acknowledged that outdated staffing practices at the Long Island Rail Road are costing commuters and straphangers millions.
nypost.com
ADevilYouKhow
Rhyme Reason
Nearly 800 subway cleaners will be hired to shine up underground trains
They will all be full-time, unionized employees!
www.timeout.com
MTA urges social media companies to remove subway surfer videos after teen’s death
Subway surfer videos have exploded in popularity – and so have incidents involving people riding outside the trains, MTA Chairman Janno Lieber said, one day after the death of a 15-year-old atop the J train.
By
Stephen Nessen
Published Feb 21, 2023
Modified Feb 22, 2023 at 9:54 a.m.
MTA urges social media companies to remove subway surfer videos after teen’s death
Scott Heins/Getty Images
The MTA will implore social media companies to take down videos of subway surfers, Chairman Janno Lieber said Tuesday, one day after a teen died riding atop a J train crossing the Williamsburg Bridge.
Lieber said an MTA analysis found that videos of young people riding atop the subways surged by 160% between 2019 and 2022. The agency urged TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram to take down the videos last summer, Lieber said.
Monday's death of Zackery Nazario, 15, has prompted the MTA to contact the companies again.
“We’ve made approaches to the social media companies and we’re going to renew it again. This is something nobody wants to see – a 15-year-old kid. It just breaks your heart,” Lieber said at an MTA board meeting on Tuesday. “Social media companies, it’s not news to anybody, you’re not always focused on discouraging reckless behavior.”
Nazario, of the Lower East Side, was on top of the train on Monday evening when his head struck a beam and he tumbled onto the tracks, according to the NYPD.
A GoFundMe page for Nazario hopes to raise money for funeral costs.
Screenshot via GoFundMe
In December, another 15-year-old subway surfer died after falling from a train as it crossed the Williamsburg Bridge and making contact with the third rail.
MTA stats show the trend is gaining popularity. In all of 2019, the MTA documented 490 incidents of people riding outside of trains. In 2022, there were 928 incidents.
Mayor Eric Adams said at an unrelated event that he planned to launch an awareness campaign about the dangers of subway surfing.
“I think the national government must come in and say, ‘what is the corporate responsibility of social media?’” he said. “I'm just surprised this hasn't been done.”
On Tuesday afternoon, Gothamist quickly found a video of subway surfers on the Instagram account of rapper Talib Kweli, who has more than 1 million followers.
Speaking with Gothamist on Tuesday, Zackery Nazario's mother Norma Nazario said social media websites need to take down videos of subway surfers and the MTA needs to do more to restrict access to the roofs of subway cars.
"My son was just a great kid and it's unfortunate that he's gone," she said. "We'll miss him. I just want to tell the MTA that they need to do something about it. I don't wish other mothers to go through the same."
Norma Nazario said the behavior was out of character for her son, and feared videos on Instagram may have influenced him.
"[He was] an old soul, just very mature for his age," she said, adding she knew he was interested in the history of trains, but never imagined he would do something so dangerous.
The MTA didn’t respond to questions about the response it received from the social media companies. A spokesperson for TikTok could not find any subway surfing videos live on the network. Emails to the other companies were not returned.
“We cannot stress enough how dangerous it is to ride on the outside of trains,” New York City Transit President Richard Davey wrote in a statement. “Our hearts go out to loved ones at yet another tragic time. We implore other families to speak with their children on the real dangers of what can seem like a thrill but is too often deadly.”
The NYPD recently increased patrols on the 7 and J lines. Both lines have long stretches along elevated tracks and are popular among subway surfers.
Catalina Gonella and Elizabeth Kim contributed reporting
This story has been updated to correct the total number of MTA incidents involving people riding outside of trains in 2022.
Elevator surfing and jumping from roof to roof was a problem when I was growing up in NYC. Kids hanging onto the back of busses was common as well.
88m3
Fast Money & Foreign Objects
Port Authority opts for bus improvements to LaGaurdia as panel officially kills Cuomo’s AirTrain idea
The project comes more than 17 months after Gov. Kathy Hochul paused work on her predecessor’s plan for a rail link from Willets Point in Queens.
gothamist.com
hmm
88m3
Fast Money & Foreign Objects
MTA has revamped 11 stations this year, plans to upgrade another 30 by year end | amNewYork
The MTA announced earlier this week that it has revamped 11 stations so far this year, with its crews conducting station repairs, deep cleanings and general
www.amny.com
ExodusNirvana
Change is inevitable...
I was telling this to a friend the other day
As a kid in the 90's, it was explained to me why this is a very stupid thing to do and the fact that it's still a thing in 2023 is wild to me
88m3
Fast Money & Foreign Objects
Andy Byford, ex-NYC Transit boss, to work for Amtrak
Byford, known in the NYC area as "Train Daddy," will oversee the national railroad’s high-speed rail programs, according to a memo announcing his hiring.
gothamist.com
ADevilYouKhow
Rhyme Reason
NYC subway station agents say so long to the booths this week
The move ends a decadeslong tradition.
gothamist.com