Subway safety: Can the system be fixed?

The New York City subway system, one of the oldest and busiest in the world, has experienced a rash of subway accident fatalities that have left riders stunned and officials scrambling for ways to improve safety.

solutions that will keep subway riders safer. He points to barriers such as those used in Tokyo, London and on the Air Train in Queens and New Jersey.

The MTA has said that it considered and discarded the possibility of using barriers because of the cost. Elected officials such as Stringer say that cost issues should not stop the city from considering the technology.

Stringer is not the only politician to take on the MTA. New York City Council Transportation Committee Chairman James Vacca said that saving even one life is important and urgent.

In addition to barriers that would open only when a train is in the station, the city could consider audio warnings and better signs. The subway workers union, Transportation Workers Union, has begun a leafleting and poster campaign to get drivers to slow down as they enter stations. The MTA has called for a stronger effort to get riders to stand away from the edges of platforms.

In 2011, there were 54 or 55 subway deaths, depending on whose statistics you believe. There were at least 155 incidents where riders were hit by subway trains, causing personal injury or death. New York City is on track to have 116 subway deaths in 2013 if the current pace continues, according to Stringer.

Source: CBS Local, “Stringer: New York City On Track For Twice As Many Subway Deaths This Year,” Jan. 23, 2013.