NEW YORK – New York City subway riders say staying safe on the transit system remains their number one concern, according to a new MTA survey.
“Personal safety and security” ranked first on the list of “what needs improvement” to increase passenger satisfaction, according to the agency’s June customer survey, followed in order by “homeless,” “people behaving erratically,” “waiting times,” and “cleanliness.” As reported by the New York Post.
Nearly one in five respondents said they would ride the subway more often if there were “fewer people behaving erratically,” the survey found.
Between 10% and 15% of respondents cited more police, shorter wait times, and their personal security as potential incentives to travel more frequently.
Security concerns come after several high-profile crimes on the subway, including a mass shooting on April 12 and the arandom killing of a Goldman Sachs worker shot dead on his way to brunch in May.
But overall traffic crime was down in June, according to NYPD statistics.
The department said 162 subway crimes were reported in June, a sharp drop from the 219 seen in May. Murder, rape, robbery, assault, larceny and grand theft were down month over month.
Both figures reflect sharp jumps compared to last year, even when adjusted for this year’s higher ridership: June 2022 saw an average of 1.84 serious crimes per million, an increase of 5.1% compared to the average of 1.75 recorded in June 2021.
Some 23 million more people traveled by subway last month compared to June 2021, according to the special report of the New York Post.
“Obviously there are some very concerned people,” said Andrew Albert, a representative from the MTA board. “I also see very crowded trains at various times of the day. I think people, when they choose to go out, they’re using the system.”
Wait times on subways on weekends and buses in general remain a top concern for passengers, regular or not, Albert said. Bus riders cited wait times, crowding, travel time, reliability and fare evasion as their top concerns, the MTA said.
“Twenty odd minutes between trains in the middle of a weekend day is simply unacceptable,” said Albert. “I can’t tell you how many tourists I have helped in the last few days, because it is very confusing for them.”
The MTA said the survey is drawn from a “statistically valid” sample of about 1,000 self-selected respondents, reported the Post.
Spokesman Aaron Donovan praised the NYPD for increasing its underground presence under Mayor Eric Adams.
“The new strategies have shown signs of success, and the MTA is encouraged by Mayor Adams’ commitment to adding social services and police officers as needed on the subways to achieve additional improvements,” Donovan said in a statement.
To read this New York Post report in English Click here.
–
