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TWU Launches Campaign Against MTA: "The MTA Doesn't Care If You Die"
By
Ben Yakas
Published Jan 19, 2013
Modified Jan 19, 2013
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By
Ben Yakas
Published Jan 19, 2013
Modified Jan 19, 2013
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This morning, two people were killed in separate subway incidents in The Bronx and Manhattan. These latest subway-related deaths come just as the Transit Workers Union has unveiled their latest campaign aimed at slowing down the speed of trains as they enter subway stations. And as you can see from the flyer they are handing out at certain stations, it's a pretty eye-catching one: “The MTA doesn’t care if you die.”
The flyer, which was designed by Noah Designs, immediately walks that back a bit: “O.K. That’s a slight exaggeration. But the fact is they want trains to keep up a breakneck pace even if it means dead passengers.” TWU wants train operators to slow down to 10 miles an hour when entering stations, instead of the typical 30-35 miles per hour, so it would make it easier to stop short if someone is on the tracks. They note that 54 riders were killed by trains last year, and many more were hit by trains and survived.
The MTA responded in a release: “We share the TWU’s concern about safety on subway platforms. However, the TWU’s proposed solution would simply trade one hazard for another: Slower trains would lead to more crowding on platforms, creating new risks.” Another MTA spokesman told NY1, "What the TWU is asking is almost the equivalent of putting a stop sign on every street corner in the city. It just doesn't make sense."
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MTA
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subway fatalities
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Ben Yakas
Ben Yakas is a former Gothamist reporter.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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