Riders beware. You could be at risk any time you ride the rails. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s inspector general released a report yesterday saying the New York City Transit agency may not be adequately prepared to handle subway emergencies.
Most subway riders don’t think twice about their safety when they hop onto a train.
“I feel safe. I come to and from every day with no problem,” said Karen Wadworth of Secaucus, N.J.
“I see a lot of police and Secret Service. Everything’s around here, so I think it’s pretty safe,” added Joe Miksits of Bellmore, N.Y.
But after looking into NYC Transit’s emergency response program, MTA inspector general Barry Kluger said riders and transit workers could potentially be at risk.
He said the agency needs to make crucial changes.
“And I am hopeful that they will take a look at the program and make the changes that are necessary to insure that this program is run as efficiently and properly as possible,” Kluger said.
The agency’s long-standing emergency response issues came into focus after a Brooklyn subway tunnel fire in 2006.
Complaints about NYC Transit’s sluggish response and poor communication with outside agencies sparked the creation of the Rapid Transit Emergency Response Unit in 2008.
But that team of dedicated emergency managers was eliminated in March of this year because of budget cuts. Now, a rotating crew of managers is handling emergencies.
But Kluger wants the agency to have a central coordinator to oversee all emergency planning.
“To insure they have this proper training, communication, and the proper equipment, being that I don’t believe you can just rely upon bulletins where all these managers have so many other functions to perform in terms of moving the millions of subway riders each day,” Kluger said.
NYC Transit is taking the inspector general’s findings very seriously. In fact, it has already implemented some of his recommendations.
Transit spokesperson Charles Seaton said: “The new president of MTA New York City Transit will make it his priority to review the contents of the report. The safety and security of our customers is our top concern.”
Straphangers are riding on those words.
The agency’s new president, Thomas Prendergast, just began his new job on Tuesday.
{WCBSTV.com/Noam Amdurski-Matzav.com Newscenter}
I want to know why the door between cars on the D trains are locked. Remember the story to weekks ago with the stabbing to death? They tell you to say something when you see some thing How can you if your locked in to a car with a murder? I had a incident where to crazy ladies where fighting with hands, the doors where locked, no cell service to call police. you cant even call the conductor. its all veryu un safe. Hashem Yishmor.