Subway delays brought about by track trespassers spiked among October and November — spurring transit leaders to launch a task force aimed at keeping people from going off the rails.
Authorities recorded 1,542 deferrals brought about by “persons on roadbed” struck via trains in November — a flood of almost 500 postponements contrasted with October, acting MTA Chairman Janno Lieber told.
“We’re fighting for the best service we can, and the one [cause of delays] that seems to be growing is person on roadbed, unruly passengers, misconduct of one kind or another,” Lieber said in an interview with The Post on Friday. “We are seeing more and more of these episodes of people with mental health issues getting on the roadbed, which is ridiculously dangerous.”
In an update to MTA staff on Thursday, Lieber said the team under new MTA development dictator Jamie Torres-Springer will “collect data on when and how these incidents occur and start identifying solutions.”
The transition to handle intruding comes as the MTA battles to control track gatecrashers’ effect on assistance. The destruction forged ahead Friday morning when an individual’s refusal to get off the tracks at 125th Street and Lexington Avenue postponed 18 trains for almost a half hour, the MTA said.
The NYPD will likewise be remembered for the work, Lieber told. While he trusts the team concocts long haul arrangements and procedures, Lieber has addressed police about accelerating reaction times when people will not get off the tracks.
“The primary way you assault the issue is to ensure that, God deny, assuming it occurs, you get them off the roadbed quick,” he said. “At the point when a train is sitting and the station for a half hour on the grounds that there is a neurotic on the tracks, that is conflicting with the MTA’s motivation, which is to … give travel.”
Lieber, who recently communicated his enthusiasm to work with Mayor-choose Eric Adams on issues of wrongdoing, wellbeing and psychological sickness, said “the criminal justice system” must also play a role in keeping subway tracks clear of intruders.
“The system needs to assist them with finding support,” he said. “Them finding support, and getting them out of the framework, is the main way that our riders will have a good sense of security, and they will quit being delayed.”
He said he hopes the new team will give some underlying suggestions inside two months.