A new PSA from the MTA urges common sense platform safety measures.
Over the past few years, as often-fatal incidents involving passengers hit by subway trains have grabbed headlines, New York politicians have urged the MTA to focus on platform safety. While the MTA doesn’t have billions on hand to spend on platform doors, the authority has launched a new PSA urging straphangers to stay alert.
For many New Yorkers, standing away from the platform edge runs against our ethos. We like to stand impatiently waiting for a train as close as possible to that platform edge as we can get. Yet, it’s dangerous With a 4.5-foot drop off the platform, the track bed is lower than it appears. Additionally, trains can nick those standing too close to the edge. Last year, in fact, 47 of the 146 people struck by subway trains were killed after falling on the tracks.
“Venturing onto the subway tracks is the most dangerous thing a customer can do, so this is an issue that we take extremely seriously. We have created and are posting visible reminders of the hazards of either standing too close to the platform edge, or descending to the tracks to retrieve a dropped item,” Cheryl Kennedy, Vice President of System Safety for NYC Transit said.
The twist here though is that his PSA isn’t just a lecture. It also asks others to be mindful of those around them. If someone else looks like they may be at risk or may venture down to the tracks, the MTA asks everyone to stop it. After all, a delayed train can have a severe impact throughout the system.
12 comments
It would be interesting to do a survey starting about two years ago and going on for a another year or so matching up how many on-the-track incident occurred in stations with countdown clocks (basically, the IRT and the L), and how many took place on the B division lines without the clocks. Looking down the tunnel for the train’s headlights is the main reason why people peer over the edge; if the clocks are viewable on the platform, there should be less reason to bother standing close to the edge and looking for the light.
It rather depends on the placement, as you said. The curved platforms and sub-optimal placement of some of the countdown boards at Union Square on the IRT result in people still leaning over and looking into the tunnels.
The clocks are numerous and visible enough from almost anywhere on most IRT platforms. The issue here is old habits die hard. I don’t understand why people still feel the need to peer over the edge when a clock is telling you in visual and audio through speakers when the next train is rolling in.
I should be more specific: the local-track side of the uptown platform at Union Square is where I see this habit most as the curve and the positioning of the countdown timer (not visible from the area where the first 3 cars are) is what seems to encourage the issue.
Ah I know exactly where on the platform you’re referring to. More proof that old habits die hard when most could easily walk to a spot where a clock exists but then that creates uneven crowding on the platform.
Countdown clocks…. they are still unreliable on certain times!
Maybe these will finally replace basically the only other safety PSA down there currently, the train surfing posters. I’m still dumbfounded as to why the MTA felt it necessary to print those posters, and only now, halfway through 2012, are releasing these PSAs that address an actual safety problem underground (and above).
I dont think this will help mainly because most of the deaths are from suicides when they jump out as the train comes in that is very hard to stop via this method
Actually that’s incorrect. Most of the deaths are accidental. It’s not to say that the suicides aren’t an issue because they are but people getting nicked from standing too close is a problem. Get nicked in the head and it’s your life. People having seizures and falling onto the track bed is a problem. Like the woman several years back killed at Brooklyn Bridge station. She fell and tried to climb back up but was pinned between the train and the platform. All those around her could do was keep her comfortable until she died. Like the guy running from the cops last year who tried to cross the track bed at 77th Street station with cops hot on his trail. He was taken out somehow when he tried to climb up the 6 train on the opposite track.
Or this one. About 10 years ago I was standing on the 34th St station platform on the 7th Avenue line. That platform tends to be tricky for most as they don’t really recognize which direction the train will approach from if they’re not a veteran of the station. I saw a woman peer the opposite direction for a downtown bound 2 train. Well let’s just say that redbird rolled in and if not for an alert T/O who honked the horn as she peered, her head would’ve been taken off right in front of my eyes. She jumped into her boyfriend’s arms at the very second she heard the horn when the train was about a good 8 feet from her skull at the 1st quarter park of the platform from the rear of the platform towards the steps leading to 34th. So yes it was coming in fast.
Platform safety is something people need to stop taking for granted and stand back for the sake of standing back.
It wont work! MTA should produce gruesome images just to stir up controversy.
Those “stick figures” are pretty gruesome, from an artistic standpoint. “Graphic Artist” is a civil service title? Who knew?
thats kiddy art work.