The head of MTA revealed on Wednesday that two of the reasons why their ridership is down by 36 percent last month is due to NYC’s rising crimes and homelessness.
MTA chairman Janno Lieber said their latest data shows that from about 3.4 million riders per weekday in the second week of December to 2.5 million riders on Monday.
Lieber said before the pandemic the subways counted 5.5 million readers each weekday.
“Our riders are letting us know that they don’t feel safe,” Lieber said.
“Our workforce is scared in addition to our passengers. Our workforce is scared because they’re feeling vulnerable,” Lieber added.
Aside from crimes, Lieber called on city and state officials to do more to address homelessness underground — and added that he was moved by the homeless encampments he saw Tuesday night at the Jamaica Center station at the end of the E line.
“What we’re trying to do is cooperate with the professionals who are responsible for delivering social services and delivering law enforcement and to continue to protect our passengers and to continue to deliver service for them,” Lieber said.
Based on the NYPD data for 2021, the highest number of assaults and homicides on the subway in a quarter-century occurred last year.
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