A new piece of hardware is hitting the subway — not for speed or comfort, but to stop people from climbing on top of trains to subway surf.
The MTA is now installing barriers in between cars on the No. 7 line, but there are questions if the move will actually save lives or is just being made to look like action.
The “anti-subway surfing barrier”
CBS News New York got an exclusive first look Tuesday at a subtle new deterrent meant to stop people from climbing on top of trains. In a locked area at the Corona maintenance facility in Queens, black, tubular barriers were being installed between cars.
“So, as you can see, we’ve tried several different versions of this,” New York City Transit President Demetrius Crichlow said. “The form or shape of it is such that it prevents a person from getting in between the two barriers. If you notice, there’s very, very little space in between. The rubber itself is a hard rubber. It does not flex.”
The MTA says it will cost around $10 million to outfit its entire fleet of subway cars with these anti-subway surfing barriers.
CBS News New York
The “anti-subway surfing barrier,” as it’s being deemed, is bolted into the space where teens have been filming viral dare videos.
“It is extremely durable. It’s very hard. Being able to get in between is not a possibility,” Crichlow said.
The MTA confirmed the experiment will cost $10 million to do the entire fleet. Â
Subway surfing “is a cultural issue,” NYC Transit head says
The NYPD says subway surfing has claimed the lives of at least five people and injured four others this year and was responsible for seven deaths and nine injuries in 2024.Â
So why did the concept of the barriers take so long to come to fruition?
“It does take some time to manufacture an actual device and it took some time and we worked with the consultant to actually create it,” Crichlow said.
The MTA said it is testing the barrier feature on the 7 line because the trains run outdoors and subway surfing has been prevalent on the line. Crichlow was asked what will happen if there is another fatality related to subway surfing after the barriers are installed.
“I think this is a cultural issue. It’s almost like an individual driving and texting. The phone itself is not the issue. It’s the cultural aspect of texting on the phone while driving,” Crichlow said.
Riders have hope the barriers will work
CBS News New York showed subway riders the new deterrent and asked them if they think it will work.
“This might deter them. This might make it more difficult,” one person said.
The MTA’s “Ride Inside, Stay Alive” campaign is designed to deter people from subway surfing.
CBS News New York
“I hope it works. Personally, I feel if a kid wants to figure out how to get up there, they’ll figure out a way,” another said.
The MTA has also plastered stations with new “Ride Inside, Stay Alive” sketches, warning riders not to participate in dangerous acts.