New York MTA Head Blames Recent Subway Attacks for Perceived Safety Issues
New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) head Janno Lieber suggested that recent high-profile subway attacks have led to a sense of unease among riders, making them feel that the subway system is unsafe. Lieber made the comment during a recent interview with Bloomberg News’ podcast “Bloomberg Talks” where he discussed the new “congestion pricing” plan aimed at incentivizing New Yorkers to use public transportation.
The plan, which went into effect after a recent string of violent attacks on the subway system, including a case of a woman being set on fire and a man being pushed onto the tracks, charges drivers $9 to cross below Central Park or enter Lower Manhattan from Brooklyn and New Jersey. Lieber acknowledged that the recent attacks have shaken trust in mass transit, but argued that overall crime has decreased by 12.5% compared to 2019.
Despite this, Lieber acknowledged that high-profile incidents can have a disproportionate impact on people’s sense of safety. “They’re very, very few of these folks, but they have an impact on people’s sense of safety. And we need to deal with them in a way that protects the riders and the public,” he said.
The comments come as the MTA is implementing new security measures, including the deployment of 1,000 National Guard members to patrol the subway system and the installation of security cameras in subway cars.