Laziness, unhealthiness and violence go hand in hand.
Photo: Andrés Correa Guatarasma / Courtesy
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Regular users of the New York City Subway and buses feel less safe from crime and harassment than they did six months ago, when the pandemic and lockdown were still at its height, according to data from the latest survey from the deficit Metropolitan Transportation Agency (MTA).
The survey released this week surveyed 25,205 “active” users of public transport in NYC in March, and showed that only 26% of them were “satisfied” with “safety against crime and harassment on trains,” a figure that reflects a 15.1% drop from September.
Crime and harassment were recorded as the main fear of the passengers consulted: 72% were “very concerned” about safety during their trip. COVID-related concerns were ranked much lower. Travelers who have not yet used MTA services during the pandemic ranked “wearing a mask” as their main obstacle to returning to public transportation, according to the survey.
In addition, the majority (57%) of the surveyed passengers who have not yet traveled attributed their absence from the Metro and buses to concerns about the coronavirus. But they are also concerned about crime and harassment: 36% said they had not used public transportation due to fears about crime, while 70% cited that issue as “extremely important” in their decision to return.
“These are not just people who are using the (transportation) system, they are people who are considering going back. Our passengers have sent a clear message here: If you make the system safer, they will come back, ”said Acting Transit President Sarah Feinberg at New York Post.
“I think there are two things that are holding people back: safety from crime and harassment, and safety from COVID,” summed up Feinberg, who reiterated on Monday his long-standing calls to the New York Police Department to expand its presence in the system.
Traffic officials say overall crime has dropped on the Metro, and the number of riders is still down 70% from the pandemic, but attacks on civilians and police have increased, and even homicides, just like in the rest of the city.
Violence and NYC’s “mental health crises” are wreaking havoc on the transportation system, Feinberg denounced, in a letter sent in January to Mayor Bill de Blasio. In February, the city added 644 police officers to the Metro, but the new survey found that less than half of riders (45%) had noticed the additional officers.
De Blasio, NYC Mayor and NYPD Chief Executive Officer, did not react positively to the new MTA poll, stating that its disclosure will further scare users away.
“MTA should tell people that it is okay to go back, not discourage them. Because regular New Yorkers know that the Metro is safe, “criticized De Blasio, quoted by New York Post. “I urge the MTA to work with us, (…) to promote their own undergrounds.”
Additionally, other reasons that would explain the lower number of users in NYC’s public transport is the population exodus and the trend that still continues in many companies of work from home, including municipal officials, that just They will begin to return to the offices on May 3.
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