NYC Transit Authority Announces Plan To Combat Falling Subway Debris
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- For months, CBS2 has been reporting about debris falling from elevated subway tracks.
We've seen car after car after car become the unfortunate landing spot for falling debris as chunks of metal, bolts, even wooden beams, came crashing down from elevated subway tracks in Queens and the Bronx.
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The terrifying incidents have gotten the attention of drivers, and they've gotten the attention of New York City Transit Authority President Andy Byford, CBS2's Nick Caloway reports.
"Even one incident is one too many," Byford said Friday.
Byford is waging all-out war on the falling equipment. He wants to start with improving the equipment itself.
"Let's have it not come loose. Let's have it stay exactly where we put it," new Transit Track Chief Terry Rumph said.
Rumph says new hardware can better hold up to intense vibrations created by trains and hopefully it won't become dislodged as often.
The second approach is a better system of catching the hardware that does come loose. There are currently baskets in place to catch falling debris, but they don't always work so many will have to be replaced.
Some 325,000 fasteners have been inspected and many will need those new wire baskets underneath.
"So rolling out a fight, effectively, against gravity. I'm not tolerating this. I do not want to see things falling off the elevated structure. And while I can't guarantee nothing will ever fall, we are doing our damndest to put a stop to this," Byford said.
Byford also says he's allocated $200 million in the budget to add netting under all 60 miles of elevated tracks, if needed, as a last defense against falling debris.
The plan is too late, however, for many drivers, including Angelic Guerrero.
Her parked car was struck by two rusty brackets way back in May and she says she still hasn't been reimbursed for the damage.
When asked what she thinks about those plans to stop more debris from falling, she says she'll believe it when she sees it.
