Photo Courtesy of Kevin Coughlin/Office of the Governor
A federal grant will provide funding for the installation of cameras across the entire fleet of city subway cars.
By Forum Staff
Governor Kathy Hochul on Tuesday in Corona announced that Metropolitan Transportation Authority New York City Transit has received a $2 million award, through the Urban Area Security Initiative federal grant program, which will provide funding for the installation of cameras across the entire fleet of subway cars, enhancing security coverage, and, most importantly, increasing passenger confidence in mass transit safety. The Urban Area Security Initiative is a program under the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Preparedness Grants. The funding will enable the purchase of 5,400 cameras to be installed on 2,700 New York City Transit subway cars, two per car. Additionally, the program will fund approximately 3,800 cameras expanding coverage in approximately 130 subway stations.
The funding will further strengthen NYC Transit’s existing security network of more than 10,000 cameras across all 472 subway stations. The new funding covers the cost of camera installation on 6,355 cars, allowing the MTA to fully outfit every subway car with cameras — supplementing an existing camera pilot program that includes 200 cameras in 100 subway cars. Additionally, funding from the Subway Action Plan totaling $3.5 million will enable the purchase of 7,310 cameras on 3,655 cars, two per car. The total funding to complete the installations equals $5.5 million. When installation begins an additional 200 train cars per month will have cameras installed until the entire subway car fleet is camera-equipped, which is anticipated to occur sometime in 2025. In addition, when new R211 subway cars are delivered starting in early 2023 they will already be camera-equipped.
“I am proud that we will be installing cameras on all Subway cars – expanding our security capabilities, deterring crime, and providing our law enforcement with support. As we continue welcoming riders back to the transit system, we will continue doing everything in our power to keep riders safe.”
All Metro-North trains are equipped with cameras, and more than 90 percent of Long Island Rail Road trains are equipped with security cameras. Last year, camera installation across every subway station was accelerated and completed ahead of schedule. Two thousand cameras were installed in 2021 alone.
“The NYPD will never cede an inch in its ongoing work to ensure the safety and security of the millions of riders who, each day, depend on us throughout the nation’s largest subway system. This is our most basic promise as we remain dedicated to preventing crime, terrorism, and disorder,” City Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell said. “The NYPD already uses existing MTA cameras, with great success, to solve crimes. Now, with ridership increasing and overall serious crime in the transit system back below pre-pandemic levels – a consequence of the NYPD’s increased, concentrated deployment in stations and on trains – the installation of additional MTA cameras covering the entire fleet of subway cars will further our investigatory capabilities and enhance our ability to provide effective, efficient public safety both below and above ground.”
New York City Transit President Richard Davey added, “It’s been proven time and time again that cameras in the transit system help fight crime throughout the whole city, not just on the subway. Expanding the camera network will serve to deter those who are intent on committing a crime from entering the transit system.”
