Lisa Daglian, Executive Director of the Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee to the MTA (PCAC) and Andrew Albert, Chair of the New York City Transit Riders Council (NYCTRC) and MTA Board Member said:
“We’re thankful the NYPD and its partners apprehended Frank R. James the day after the terrifying shooting on the N train, and appreciate their hard work on this case. Riders and New Yorkers were understandably scared – those feelings are going to take some time to go away, even as qualms about getting back onboard were beginning to abate. It’s clear that the Mayor, Governor, MTA and Police are steadfast in their commitment to improving safety underground, including making riders feel safer in the system. Both parts are essential to getting riders back as our region continues its recovery. The bright spot in this horrible situation is the resilience of New Yorkers, including transit workers, riders and first responders, who came together to help each other. We saw further evidence of that today when Zack made the call that brought about the arrest of New York’s ‘Most Wanted.’
“The MTA’s cameras did capture images of the subway shooter entering the system as part of the vast amount of footage that was collected. We also learned that more resources need to be directed to further improving the underground camera system, which survives in an incredibly harsh environment. We support ensuring that the MTA has whatever funds it needs to make those upgrades, to help keep riders and employees safe.”
CONTACT: Kara Gurl, PCAC: 718-839-3625/ [email protected] Lisa Daglian, PCAC: 917-612-2292/ [email protected]