Service on Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) subway Lines B, D, F, N, Q and R were temporarily reduced on Sept. 13 after multiple vandalism acts on those lines Sept. 12. Vandalism also occurred on the W Line but that line was able to run full service during the morning rush.
MTA personnel identified 97 broken windows on 45 trains during the approximately 29-hour period that ended around 6 a.m. Sept. 13.
“A group of individuals or an individual disrupted the commute of hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers and it's costing us about $500,000 to repair these windows and that is outrageous,” said New York City (NYC) Transit President Richard Davey. “Our crews worked feverishly overnight to repair many of those trains, but we have literally exhausted, depending on the fleet class, the number of windows in our supply and are now taking windows off cars that are in our train yard. The NYC Transit system has more cameras than a Las Vegas casino. We will find those responsible. We will have their pictures. I have no doubt we will find them and prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law.”
“I'm confident, very confident, that we will identify the locations of occurrence as the video system in the New York City subway system is vast and robust and proves to be extremely helpful,” said New York Police Department Chief of Transit Michael Kemper. “Breaking windows on trains, causing them to be put out of service, not only inconveniences our riders, but it's a crime, and when caught, those responsible will be arrested and will be facing felony charges.”
