NEW YORK — Ka’Von Wooden had an ardent passion for trains. The 15-year-old was well-versed with the intricacies of New York City’s subway system, often expressing his aspiration to become a train operator one day.
Unfortunately, on a December morning in 2022, Ka’Von lost his life after climbing onto the roof of a moving J train in Brooklyn, falling onto the tracks as the train approached the Williamsburg Bridge.
He was among a troubling trend involving several young New Yorkers who have faced severe injuries or even death in recent years from engaging in “subway surfing,” a practice that has roots extending back a century but has gained extreme popularity and visibility due to social media. Local authorities have made attempts to combat the issue through public awareness campaigns and by utilizing drones to monitor these thrill-seekers. Yet, some argue that a more foundational issue remains unaddressed: Why are young individuals like Ka’Von able to access the rooftops of subway cars in the first place?
Ka’Von’s mother, Y’Vonda Maxwell, expressed her frustration, highlighting that mere weeks after her son’s tragic death, another child also lost their life in similar circumstances. “Why should my child have not been the end?” she remarked, emphasizing the perceived shortcomings of transit and law enforcement in preventing such incidents.
Experts suggest that implementing measures to make it more difficult to climb onto the trains, along with increasing detection via cameras and sensors, could aid in mitigating these risks. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), which oversees the subway, claims to be evaluating the issue, but as of now, has not proposed any concrete measures involving technology or physical barriers that could deter individuals from climbing on top of trains.
In 2022, six individuals died while surfing subway trains, an increase from five fatalities in 2021. Tyesha Elcock, an MTA employee who operated the train on the day of Ka’Von’s incident, believes more preventive measures are essential.
The initial sign of trouble that tragic day was when the train’s emergency brake was activated. Elcock discovered Ka’Von’s body wedged between the seventh and eighth cars, while a group of visibly distressed teens made it clear what had occurred. When she asked the group, “Did y’all leave your friend back there?” they revealed the severity of the situation.
Another train operator who was traveling in the opposite direction saw Ka’Von on the train’s roof and reported the sighting via radio. Due to inconsistent radio service, Elcock did not receive that warning in time.
She advocates for a straightforward solution that could have potentially saved Ka’Von: locking the end doors of subway cars to prevent access to the narrow spaces between the train cars, which surfers often exploit to hoist themselves onto the roof. “Lock it when we’re in service so people can’t climb up and be on top of the train,” Elcock asserted.
While MTA leaders have acknowledged the need to find ways to combat subway surfing through engineering solutions, they have been reticent to share details or make safety experts available for discussions.
In 2023, Richard Davey, then in charge of buses and subways for the MTA, mentioned that officials are contemplating the idea of locking doors between cars, a practice currently only utilized on a limited number of older subway trains. However, concerns have been raised regarding potential risks that locking off these doors might pose, particularly in emergencies, as some New Yorkers worry that it could hinder escape routes during critical situations.
City Council members and journalists have pressed MTA officials for greater clarity, only to find that some physical interventions, like increased barriers to hinder track access or coverings over gaps between train cars, have been dismissed. MTA CEO Janno Lieber stated, “Listen, you have to be able to do work on top of a train car,” while recognizing the impracticality of installing protective measures like barbed wire.
Additionally, the MTA has taken steps to request social media platforms to remove promotional videos glamorizing subway surfing and has run public service announcements aimed at promoting safe riding habits, encouraging individuals to “Ride inside, stay alive,” using messages conveyed by local youth.
With over 300,000 school children using the subway daily in New York City, the statistics surrounding skateboard surfing are concerning. The NYPD reported that arrests for subway surfing rose to 229 last year, an increase from 135, with the majority being young boys averaging around 14 years old; the youngest arrest was of a 9-year-old.
Dr. Branislav Dimitrijevic, a professor of engineering at the New Jersey Institute of Technology, highlighted the financial constraints involved in retrofitting trains to prevent access to roofs. He noted how public reluctance to support funding for safety upgrades often stymies necessary improvements.
Dimitrijevic proposed that using artificial intelligence and cameras might provide a more affordable solution to detecting individuals trying to climb on top of trains. Meanwhile, Andrew Alpert, a non-voting member of the MTA board, mentioned his inquiries regarding the feasibility of implementing physical sensors but has yet to receive feedback.
Although the NYPD has initiated drone surveillance along popular subway surfing hotspots, the limitations of such patrols mean that they cannot be omnipresent. Meanwhile, subway systems in other global cities like Hong Kong and Dubai feature designs that make roof climbing nearly impossible, boasting streamlined car bodies without exterior handles and no openings between cars.
Some rail systems have resorted to extreme measures to discourage passengers from riding atop train cars. In Indonesia, for instance, officials once employed hanging metal flails and resorted to dousing riders with red paint and chasing them away with brooms.
While the MTA has recently acquired new subway cars that eliminate exterior gaps, these cars represent only a small portion of the existing fleet and will not be integrated into surfing-prone lines in the immediate future.
