MTA Chief Customer Officer Shanifah Rieara and NYCT President Demetrius Crichlow join professional BMX athlete Nigel Sylvester at Queens Plaza to announce new initiatives in the “Ride Inside, Stay Alive” anti-subway surfing campaign on Wednesday, Jun 11, 2025.
Sylvester.
(Marc A. Hermann / MTA)
NYC Launches New Campaign to Stop Deadly Subway Surfing
MOHAMED FARGHALY
mfarghaly@queensledger.com
In a new push to deter subway surfing among youth, Governor Kathy Hochul on Monday announced a joint campaign featuring subway announcements recorded by New York City high school students and professional BMX athlete Nigel Sylvester. The initiative, a collaboration between the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), NYC Public Schools, and other city agencies, aims to reach young riders with a clear and urgent message: ride inside and stay alive.
“Nothing is more important to me than keeping New Yorkers safe,” said Governor Hochul. “Through this campaign, young New Yorkers will hear directly from peers and role models about the extreme dangers of subway surfing and the message is clear: ride inside and stay alive. New York will continue to do everything we can to keep our young people safe on the subways.”
The campaign features a series of illustrated comics developed with input from students at the High School of Art & Design, telling the fictionalized stories of teens impacted by subway surfing. The comics—appearing in stations and online—highlight both the personal risks and the broader emotional toll on friends, family members, and first responders.
MTA Chief Customer Officer Shanifah Rieara and NYCT President Demetrius Crichlow join professional BMX athlete Nigel Sylvester at Queens Plaza to announce new initiatives in the “Ride Inside, Stay Alive” anti-subway surfing campaign on Wednesday, Jun 11, 2025.
Rieara.
(Marc A. Hermann / MTA)
Eight public service announcements, recorded in both English and Spanish by students and Sylvester, began airing systemwide this week, marking the latest step in an expansive campaign that began last fall in response to a surge in deadly subway surfing incidents. At least six young people have died from subway surfing in 2024, including 13-year-old Krystel Romero, who was killed in October while riding atop a 7 train.
“Subway surfing is not a game – it can have deadly consequences that ripple across entire communities,” said MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber. “I want to thank NYC Public Schools for their support in raising awareness about the dangers and implore parents to speak with their children about this serious issue.”
The campaign draws on earlier MTA-led initiatives, such as the “Subway Surfing Kills – Ride Inside, Stay Alive” program, and builds on existing partnerships with social media companies to combat the glorification of subway surfing online. According to MTA officials, more than 1,800 videos showing individuals riding outside of trains have been removed from platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube this year alone.
“Partnering with Nigel Sylvester allows us to reach a new audience and show kids exciting alternatives to subway surfing,” said MTA Chief Customer Officer Shanifah Rieara. “And working with social media companies to take down videos of subway surfing is crucial in showing kids that a few likes on social media are not worth losing their life.”
MTA Chief Customer Officer Shanifah Rieara and NYCT President Demetrius Crichlow join professional BMX athlete Nigel Sylvester at Queens Plaza to announce new initiatives in the “Ride Inside, Stay Alive” anti-subway surfing campaign on Wednesday, Jun 11, 2025.
(Marc A. Hermann / MTA)
Sylvester, a Queens native and globally recognized BMX rider, serves as the campaign’s official ambassador.
“As a proud native of Queens, I’m both honored and motivated to partner with the MTA and NYC Public Schools to raise awareness about the dangers of subway surfing—an issue that has deeply affected communities across our beloved New York City,” Sylvester said. “BMX riding gave me a powerful outlet to express my creativity and dedicate myself to something meaningful… I hope to inspire the next generation to explore sports like BMX as a way to grow, build discipline, and unlock their full potential.”
In addition to in-station messaging and online content, the campaign includes direct outreach at schools. NYC Transit officials are meeting with school administrators and students to reinforce the safety message. Meanwhile, NYPD officers have been stationed at hotspot stations and are conducting home visits to known subway surfers.
“We are reminding young people that riding outside of subway cars is not only illegal, but reckless and dangerous,” said NYC Transit President Demetrius Crichlow. “Working with local students to create a campaign that will reach their peers will help us challenge this life-threatening behavior.”
City officials and advocates have increasingly emphasized peer-to-peer engagement as a more effective strategy to connect with youth. The campaign’s design, led in part by students themselves, reflects that approach.
“As a mother and a lifelong educator, I am deeply concerned about the dangerous trend of subway surfing among our young people,” said NYC Public Schools Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos. “This partnership is exactly the kind of collaborative approach to reach our students with messages that resonate.”
MTA Chief Customer Officer Shanifah Rieara and NYCT President Demetrius Crichlow join professional BMX athlete Nigel Sylvester at Queens Plaza to announce new initiatives in the “Ride Inside, Stay Alive” anti-subway surfing campaign on Wednesday, Jun 11, 2025.
Sylvester, Rieara.
(Marc A. Hermann / MTA)
Earlier this year, Mayor Eric Adams filed a lawsuit against several social media giants, including TikTok and Instagram, blaming their platforms for helping fuel the rise in subway surfing and other dangerous trends.
“Views on social media are not worth losing your precious life,” said Councilmember Julie Won in a prior statement. “The city must invest in more after school programs that give young people an engaging safe space and an outlet to grow their interests outside of the classroom.”
The city’s Department of Youth and Community Development is also playing a key role in the campaign’s rollout.
“Engaging in reckless activities like riding on top of a train is not only dangerous, but causes immense trauma, suffering, and grief to those left behind,” said DYCD Commissioner Keith Howard. “Before making any decision that could potentially lead to a loss of life… please take a moment to consider the impact it will have on others.”
As summer approaches—a peak season for transit-related risks—officials hope this latest campaign will reach the teens most vulnerable to peer pressure and viral social media stunts.
“Subway surfing is a deadly and deeply troubling trend that has already claimed the lives of far too many young New Yorkers,” said Council Member Selvena N. Brooks-Powers. “By engaging directly with students and elevating peer-to-peer messaging, we are taking a more authentic, impactful approach to reaching our young people.”
The campaign’s core message remains blunt, but critical: Subway surfing kills. Ride inside. Stay alive.
