(NewsNation) — New York City and state leaders have a launched a new campaign warning teens not ride on the outside of city subways, citing the dangerous hazards that can result in death.
The new public information campaign with a tagline “Subway Surfing Kills – Ride Inside, Stay Alive,” centers around, is designed for, and was created by New York City teenagers, according to a news release.
“Each subway surfing death tragically strips young New Yorkers of promising futures,” Mayor Eric Adams said in a statement. “We cannot endure another tragedy on our trains. That’s why we are partnering with the MTA on an innovative campaign to raise awareness, and we have recruited true social media experts to help lead it: young New Yorkers. Our young people know best how to reach their peers, and they want to help keep their friends safe.”
The campaign will include public service announcements inside subway stations recorded by students; digital signage in stations, graphics and animations; posters and banners in schools; and social media posts, among other efforts.
The initiative was crafted by a group of five recent graduates from the High School of Art Design on the east side of Manhattan, according to the news release. They were asked to create messaging for trains that “address subway surfing along with calls to action.”
“The safety of New Yorkers is my top priority,” Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a statement. “Through this innovative partnership, young New Yorkers will hear directly from their teachers and peers about the extreme danger of subway surfing, saving lives and preventing more tragedies. New York will continue to do everything we can to keep our young people safe on the subways.”
The New York Police Department will also play a role by deploying officers to certain stations and making home visits to youth who have been seen riding outside of trains. The NYPD says it has already taken “enforcement action” on 87 subway surfers and conducted 69 home visits from April to June this year.
There have been five fatalities due to subway surfing in 2023, the same number of total fatalities recorded from 2018 to 2022.
In February, a teenager was killed while riding on top of a subway after his head slammed into a metal beam, according to the NYPD. Days later, another teenager was taken into custody for riding on the outside of a subway.
Last year, the NYPD described subway surfing as an “unfortunate trending issue” that was in part fueled by social media.
NewsNation affiliate WPIX-TV contributed to this report.
