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    1. Safety & Security

    New five-point plan to address safety concerns of New York subways

    March 7, 2024
    The plan outlined by Gov. Kathy Hochul calls for additional police presence, better coordination between law enforcement and district attorneys and laws to ban people convicted of assaulting transit workers and riders.
    Marc A. Hermann/MTA
    New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber shake hands at the NYCT Rail Control Center (RCC) on Mar. 6, 2024. The two were at the RCC to unveil a five-point plan to improve safety on New York City subways.
    New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber shake hands at the NYCT Rail Control Center (RCC) on Mar. 6, 2024. The two were at the RCC to unveil a five-point plan to improve safety on New York City subways.

    New York Gov. Kathy Hochul introduced a five-point plan to address safety on New York City subways that will utilize state resources, funding and enhance existing between state and municipal entities.

    The governor’s plan includes an increase in uniformed personnel within the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) New York City (NYC) Transit subway system, stronger options to ban individuals who assault riders, new cameras installed, increased coordination with law enforcement and District Attorneys and a state investment to increase the number of Subway Co-Response Outreach (SCOUT) teams.

    Noting two recent incidents that left an MTA employee and a rider injured, the governor recognized that, while statistics show improvements in transit safety, public perception of safety on the transit system is another challenge.

    “I’m here to take action because that’s what the situation requires. Rattling off statistics, saying things are getting better doesn’t make you feel better, especially when you’ve just heard about someone being slashed in the throat or thrown onto a subway track,” Gov. Hochul said. “There’s a psychological impact. People worry they could be next. Anxiety takes hold and riding the subway, which should just simply be part of your everyday life is filled with stress and trepidation and, if you make a living as a transit worker, that is compounded exponentially, that level of stress.”

    Gov. Hochul’s plan has the support and commitment of the MTA, New York State Police, MTA Police Department (MTAPD), New York National Guard and several borough District Attorneys.  

    “We can’t afford to not act. The transit system is too important to the city and region to allow the perception of safety, or lack of it, to scare people away,” said MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber.

    Outline of the five-point plan

    Gov. Hochul noted her long working relationship with NYC Mayor Eric Adams and explained the new plan was developed with the intent of filling in the gaps not addressed by past efforts. 

    The New York Police Department conducts bag checks at heavily trafficked areas and Gov. Hochul will deploy 1,000 additional personnel to assist with these checks. The additional personnel will consist of 250 officers from MTAPD and New York State Police and 750 members of the New York National Guard.

    The second point of the plan involves a state bill to allow people convicted of assaulting passengers to be banned from MTA’s system. In 2022, the state expanded protections of transit workers by allowing bans on people convicted of assaulting them and Gov. Hochul wants to expand these protections to riders.

    The five-point plan to address safety on New York City subways includes:

    • Additional state personnel to assist the New York Police Department with bag checks
    • New state bill to ban people who assault riders, as well as transit workers
    • Improved coordination between law enforcement, transit personnel and district attorneys
    • New cameras on and in conductor cabins
    • A $20 million infusion of state funds to expand SCOUT teams

    To support this expanded ban on people who assault riders and workers, Gov. Hochul is calling for improved coordination between law enforcement, transit personnel and district attorneys. The governor’s office will hold regular meetings to coordinate information sharing, which should assist district attorneys with their casework and support existing efforts to keep violent offenders off the streets and out of the subways. Additionally, the MTA will hire a criminal justice advocate to assist victims of crime on the system and MTAPD will develop an early warning system to flag repeat offenders.

    MTA has been investing in the installation of cameras on trains and in stations. The state’s five-point plan also calls for these cameras to be installed in conductor cabins, as well as at stations pointing at conductor cabins. The governor says the cameras will assist law enforcement in searching for assailants who target transit workers.

    The final point of the plan involves a $20 million state investment to add 10 additional SCOUT teams to the system. These teams, which have the backing of police, were developed in partnership with NYC to assist people dealing with severe mental health crises. These teams assist New Yorkers in gaining access to mental health treatment and supportive housing. The SCOUT teams operate in addition to the Safe Options Support, or SOS teams, that work to connect unhoused individuals with stable housing.

    “My five-point plan will rid our subways of violent offenders and protect all commuters and transit workers. I am sending a message to all New Yorkers: I will not stop working to keep you safe and restore your peace of mind whenever you walk through those turnstiles,” said Gov. Hochul.

    Transport Workers Union Local 100 President Richard Davis issued a statement welcoming the plan, especially the points to address worker safety and hold people who commit assaults on workers accountable. However, he said MTA leaders were “late to this conversation” and explained the plan could go further by setting pre-trial conditions on assailants who assault transit workers and riders.

    "Today's press conference appears to be the beginning of real action undertaken by city and state stakeholders. But we will not stand for empty rhetoric and posturing for the cameras while our workers risk their well-being every day,” said Davis.

    About the Author

    Mischa Wanek-Libman | Editor in Chief

    Mischa Wanek-Libman serves as editor in chief of Mass Transit magazine. She is responsible for developing and maintaining the magazine’s editorial direction and is based in the western suburbs of Chicago.

    Wanek-Libman has spent more than 20 years covering transportation issues including construction projects and engineering challenges for various commuter railroads and transit agencies. She has been recognized for editorial excellence through her individual work, as well as for collaborative content. 

    She is an active member of the American Public Transportation Association's Marketing and Communications Committee and serves as a Board Observer on the National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association (NRC) Board of Directors.  

    She is a graduate of Drake University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism and Mass Communication with a major in magazine journalism and a minor in business management.

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