Hundreds of homeless people have made New York City's subway their homes. During a check, the Metropolitan Transportation Agency MTA discovered nearly 350 such people who live in the subway stations of NYC. They are visible in different locations. There were 30 of them in the tunnels and another 89 in the stations. Mayor Eric Adams wants to eradicate the menace, and he wants to do it through his new subway safety plan.
Daily Mail UK says an official of MTA revealed to a section of the media - 'We never leave an encampment in place. As soon as we identify an encampment, those people are immediately removed." The MTA has a special force to keep track of such individuals.
They are a common sight for the people of New York as the temperature drops, and the weather gets colder. In October last year, a homeless man tried to kidnap a three-year-old girl in broad daylight in New York City.
There will be surveys for homeless encampments
Eric Adams said – "'we're dismantling and will be dismantling every encampment in our system." He mentioned previous administrations and added they might have ignored them, but that will not happen. He wants the subway system to be safe and reliable for those who use them for Travel. Mayor Adams talked about the people of New York still "balancing terrorism" in the subways too. Daily Mail UK adds that Adams is a former transit cop, and he realizes the dangers in the tunnels.
It is all about balancing terrorism in the city. The procedure is for outreach workers to report the encampments to the NYPD. They take action to remove them from the subway system. The MTA task force will be conducting 'regular surveys to identify encampments of this nature and share the information with the police. In July 2019, residents and businesses of Los Angeles innovated to prevent encroachment by the homeless.
Adams' new Subway Safety Plan for the homeless
The new Subway Safety Plan includes issues like the homeless in the city's subway system apart from attacking fare evasion and improving public safety in the stations and trains. Eric Adams is knowledgeable and has an advantage because he used to be a transit police officer. He commented that it is 'cruel and inhumane for people to live on subways on taking office recently.
His advice to those who use the subway is – "Swipe your MetroCard, ride the system, get off at your destination. That's what this administration is saying." Daily Mail UK highlights the problems the homeless face. Many of them have mental illness, substance abuse problems, or both. It is necessary to address these issues and initiate corrective measures. In June 2019, the number of homeless in Los Angeles revealed an upward trend.
Homeless individuals get involved in track intrusion incidents
According to New York Post, homeless individuals who live in encampments in subway stations and tunnels often get involved in track trespassing incidents. These usually pertain to those who are mentally ill or emotionally disturbed.
The incidents range from minor ones like slip-and-falls or intoxication to serious ones like suicide or attempted suicide. An official, Jamie Torres-Springer, said - "Last year, there were 1,267 incidents of a person on the tracks, which is a 20 percent increase since 2019." These were being hit by a train, and some of these were fatal. In order to reduce track intrusions, the MTA has drawn up strategies. One of these is anti-suicide messaging. Lisa Dalian is a member of the MTA's Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee. She says there is a need to make adequate housing available for people to live. They should not have to live in the subway system, whether it be a subway car, subway station, or subway tunnel.