NEW YORK (1010 WINS) – MTA CEO Janno Lieber joined 1010 WINS' Business Breakfast with Rob Walsh to discuss issues facing New York’s transit system, including the rise of subway surfing, crime statistics, fare evasion costs, and the long-term vision for New York’s transit expansion.
Lieber began by addressing the rise in subway surfing—a risky trend spurred largely by social media. “These…kids who are engaged in subway surfing are putting their lives in danger for social media,” Lieber told the breakfast's attendees, calling the trend “heartbreaking.”
He explained that the MTA has been actively working with platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook, which have already removed over 210,000 videos showcasing the activity. He called on news organizations to stop posting videos while reporting on the issue. “It’s gonna end up on the internet permanently and encourage people to think that’s how I become a hero.”
Lieber noted that officers have made more than 200 “apprehensions” in 2024, with police visiting homes to speak directly with parents. “We need help,” Lieber said, calling for support from families, educators, and the broader community in discouraging this life-threatening trend.
Turning to public safety, Lieber shared statistics about decreased crime on the subway by 12% compared to pre-COVID levels and the MTA is still working on a mental health initiative, which pairs clinicians with police officers to help individuals in crisis on the subway.
“We want everybody to feel like this is, you know, a safe place and an orderly place,” Lieber said. This effort, he believes, has already led to fewer incidents involving individuals with severe mental health challenges, making the subway a more welcoming space for riders.
Lieber then shifted to fare evasion, a growing concern that has taken a significant toll on the MTA’s finances and the morale of New Yorkers. Calling it a “$700 million a year problem.”
“Fare evasion is a complete violation of that code,” he said, hinting that it erodes the sense of fairness that underpins public space in New York. “It demoralizes New Yorkers when they see that we’re not all playing by the same rules.”
The MTA is adopting a multipronged approach to address fare evasion, focusing on education, enforcement, and physical improvements to transit barriers. Lieber shared that new revenue enforcement agents will soon join the buses and subway systems in an effort to reduce the impact of fare evasion across all transit lines. “We need to buy the new cars so that New Yorkers don’t end up spending a lot of time sitting in subway tunnels waiting to be rescued,” he said.
Lieber also discussed congestion pricing, a plan he views as essential to reducing traffic in Manhattan while generating revenue for transit improvements. While Gov. Kathy Hochul paused the program in June, Lieber said that it remains “front of mind” for her.
“It’s no secret. The governor paused it…we’re still waiting for her decision,” he said.
Looking ahead. Lieber talked about the planned Interborough Express, a new transit line connecting Brooklyn and Queens directly, without requiring a detour through Manhattan. He described it as “incredibly exciting,” noting, “The subway system was designed, you know, principally to take people…into Manhattan for jobs.”
The 14-mile project will introduce 19 new stations and connect 17 existing subway lines. “It’s going to be transformational,” he said.
Lastly, Lieber talked about Albany’s support for the MTA’s $68 billion capital plan. The plan, he explained, focuses primarily on maintaining the existing system, which is over a century old and in need of significant repair. “Remember, it’s 100 and 20 years old,” Lieber said, adding, “We want to fix the power systems…all that concrete and steel which has been subjected to water, salt and chemicals for 100 years.”
“We just all need to encourage the political class to take action,” he said. Lieber will be lobbying lawmakers in Albany in January, as well as at the SOMOS legislative conference in Puerto Rico, where he hopes to gain further support for the capital plan.