NEW YORK — Passionate about trains, 15-year-old Ka’Von Wooden had an extensive understanding of New York City’s subway system and aspired to be a train operator. Tragically, his dreams ended on a December day in 2022 when he climbed onto the roof of a moving J train in Brooklyn and subsequently fell onto the tracks while crossing the Williamsburg Bridge. His untimely death adds him to a troubling list of over a dozen individuals, predominantly young boys, who have suffered serious injuries or fatalities while engaging in “subway surfing,” a risky practice that has gained notoriety through social media channels.
In response to this growing issue, authorities have initiated public safety campaigns and employed drones to catch those participating in such dangerous stunts. However, some argue that a vital question remains unanswered: How are children like Ka’Von capable of accessing subway car rooftops?
Y’Vonda Maxwell, Ka’Von’s mother, expressed her frustration, pointing out that his death was followed by the loss of another child just two weeks later. She criticized transit and law enforcement officials for not taking sufficient measures, stating, “Why should my child have not been the end?” Experts suggest that enhancing the difficulty of climbing onto trains and improving surveillance through technology could be effective strategies. Although the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), the body responsible for the subway system, has acknowledged the issue, it has not yet proposed any concrete solutions to mitigate access to train roofs.
Last year, six individuals lost their lives while surfing subway trains in New York City, reflecting an increase compared to the previous year when five fatalities were reported. Tyesha Elcock, an MTA worker present on the day of Ka’Von’s accident, believes immediate actions should be taken to prevent future tragedies. She recounted that the situation escalated when the train’s emergency brake was activated, and upon investigation, she found Ka’Von’s body positioned between two train cars after receiving an alarming report from another operator.
Elcock believes a straightforward solution could be locking the doors at the ends of subway cars, which would obstruct access to the narrow spaces between the cars that subway surfers exploit to ascend their roofs. “Lock it when we’re in service so people can’t climb up and be on top of the train,” she suggested. MTA officials have indicated that they are exploring potential engineering solutions. However, they have not arranged for interviews with their safety experts concerning the matter.
In 2023, Richard Davey, who was leading buses and subways for the MTA, stated that they were considering the possibility of securing doors between cars — a practice only implemented on a select few older trains. Nonetheless, he raised concerns that locking the doors could pose additional risks by preventing passengers from moving to other sections of the train during an emergency.
At a past press conference, MTA CEO Janno Lieber discussed the challenges of modifying train infrastructure, arguing that operational safety must be maintained. The agency has reached out to social media platforms, requesting the removal of videos that glamorize subway surfing, and has launched public service announcements aimed at promoting safer riding behavior among youths.
Every day, over 300,000 school children in New York City rely on the subway for their commute. The NYPD reported that arrests associated with subway surfing surged to 229 last year, a significant rise from the previous year’s total of 135, with the majority of offenders being young males averaging around 14 years old. Alarmingly, the youngest surfer recorded was merely nine years old.
Engineering professor Branislav Dimitrijevic from the New Jersey Institute of Technology noted that retrofitting trains to restrict roof access would involve high expenses. He remarked, “There are many instances in transportation that can be remedied, but the costs lead to public reluctance to pay.” Dimitrijevic proposed the possibility of adding cameras along with artificial intelligence systems to identify those attempting to climb onto the trains, while Andrew Albert, a non-voting member of the MTA board, mentioned he has sought information regarding the use of sensors to improve safety but has received no feedback.
The NYPD has also utilized drones to monitor well-known subway surfing spots, although their coverage is limited. Comparatively, subway systems in cities such as Hong Kong and Dubai have successfully designed trains that are not easily scaled, featuring streamlined designs without external handles or inter-car access.
In some countries, extreme measures have been implemented to deter riders from climbing onto train roofs. For instance, Indonesian railway officials once installed hanging metal flails and used unconventional methods like spraying colors on riders or using brooms to dissuade them from such dangerous activities.
Recently, the MTA introduced a few new subway cars that eliminate the gaps exploited by surfers, however, these amendments represent only a small fraction of the current fleet and won’t be introduced on popular routes for surfing in the immediate future.
