Several high-profile subway accidents in New York City recently have highlighted the dangers that commuters face when they’re standing on a platform waiting for their train. Individuals have either fallen on the tracks and struck by the incoming trains or have been shoved in harm’s way due to overcrowding at heavily trafficked stations.
Safety advocates have for years been advocating the installation of safety barriers like those present at subway stations in similar-sized cities all over the world but the MTA has always been (and continues to be) resistant to the idea.
In one statement from several years ago, an MTA official was quoted as saying that these barriers are simply too expensive. Now, officials looking into an installation of such barriers have come out with a report showing that most commercially available barriers simply wouldn’t even work in New York City subway stations because these stations are not constructed to modern standards. The barriers simply won’t fit. In fact, the investigation found that fewer than 30% of NYC’s 472 stations would be able to make use of these safety barriers.
This is not good news for rider confidence. Even the head of the MTA, Janno Lieber, says New Yorkers are having what amounts to a “crisis of rider confidence” in the system.
In addition to platforms that just cannot accommodate the size and configuration of these life-saving devices, the MTA has to contend with the American’s With Disabilities Act (ADA) accessibility regulations and an underpowered electrical grid. And that’s on top of the cost—an estimated $7 billion just to install barriers at the 30% of stations now capable of housing them.
Nevertheless, if you or a loved one has been injured in the underground subway system due to the improper maintenance of the platform, stairways or other facilities, the City of New York can still be held financially liable. Contact an experienced New York City subway accident lawyer today. Call the Law Offices of Nussin S. Fogel, PLLC at 800-734-9338 or 212-385-1122 for your free consultation.