You might want to invest in some good walking shoes. A report released by the MTA's chief independent inspector shows that the authority has a pretty bad track record when it comes to responding to safety issues, and that they often know about problems for years before they act. Inspector Barry Kluger complains that communication between inspection crews often breaks down, resulting in dangerous conditions at most subway stations. For instance, the report claims, "Managers had learned in 1999 that a portion of the ceiling at 181st Street was at risk of collapse." Ten years later, that portion of ceiling collapsed, suspending service at the station for two weeks.
Kluger told the Times, “No one had stepped up and said, ‘We’ve got to get this done quickly,'" and said the dangerous conditions are a result of miscommunication between two inspecting divisions. One division inspects stations every year, the other every five year, and the two rarely talk about what they find.
He also said there are communication problems between inspectors and construction crews, and that most of the inspections aren't meticulous enough. Kluger claims most ceiling inspections are done from platform level. One engineering company responsible for inspections from 2005 to 2009 told Kluger that they don't have the time or the money to take closer looks. Kluger wrote, "Furthermore, he added that they would not be expected to perform an up-close inspection."
More scary statistics: Each of the 142 elevated stations in the city has at least one concrete problem, like the one which caused a 4x8 piece of concrete platform to collapse from the 18th Avenue F station last year. According to the report, the MTA knew about that one too. MTA spokesman Charles Seaton admitted their mistakes, but that they've begun to implement changes recommended by Kluger.
