Good morning, I’m Lisa Daglian, Executive Director of the Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee to the MTA, PCAC.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: the Safety Committee is too important to relegate to an 8:30am slot every few months. Safety is important for riders and for workers – the Committee book has metrics that show how the agency is doing and where it needs to improve on both accounts.
Safety and security continue to be top of mind for riders across the system, and figure dominantly in responses to customer surveys: 20% of subway riders said personal safety and security need to improve to increase their satisfaction, while more than 15% said that they would ride more often if their personal security concerns were addressed. News stories are hyper-focused on safety across the transit system, looking for all the bad news that’s fit to print. But there is good news – and an opportunity to better shape the conversation. This committee should be the focal point of all the joint efforts going into making riders safe, whether they’re coming from Wyandanch or going to White Plains, or live near West 4th.
More regular meetings of this Committee would allow you to showcase the advances being made, and technology and initiatives being introduced to increase rider and worker safety and security. It would also allow for more questions, such as: What is the status of the track intrusion detection program? How does it differ from Laser Intrusion upgrades in subway tunnels? Installation of flood cameras to monitor potential flood areas within LIRR yards is listed as pending, but what is the status of similar projects for NYC Transit and Metro-North?
Increasing police across the system is one response to rider concerns and has been successful to increasing feelings of security in the system. But there are other ways to keep riders and workers safe, and we think you are doing a better job than you get credit for. Early birds may get the worm, but they rarely get to 8:30 Committee meetings, so we again urge you to hold more regular meetings of the Safety Committee, and to hold them later in the day. It’s too important an issue to let people sleep through.